Who was Eber in the Bible?

Eber was a descendant of Benjamin, specifically listed as a son of Elpaal in the genealogical records of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:12). He is a minor figure mentioned only in this lineage, with no recorded events from his life.

Why is Eber mentioned in 1 Chronicles?

Eber is mentioned to establish the detailed genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin, tracing the family lines within Israel. These records were crucial for establishing tribal identity, land inheritance, and the royal lineage from which King Saul came.

Is Eber the same person as the ancestor of the Hebrews?

No, this Eber (son of Elpaal) is a different person from the more famous Eber, the ancestor of the Hebrews (Genesis 10:21, 11:14-17). The Eber in 1 Chronicles is a later, minor Benjamite descendant, sharing only the same name.

Eber

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon

Eber was a son of Elpaal and a descendant of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogy of the Benjamites. (1Ch.8.12)

Eber

Biography

This Eber was a son of Elpaal within the tribe of Benjamin, whose name appears in the genealogical records preserved in 1 Chronicles 8:12. He is listed among the sons of Elpaal who are credited with building the towns of Ono and Lod with their surrounding villages, suggesting that his immediate family held significant standing and perhaps administrative or settlement authority within the tribe. The broader Benjamite genealogy in 1 Chronicles 8 was of particular importance to the post-exilic community, as Benjamin along with Judah formed the nucleus of those who returned from Babylon. Though no personal narrative accompanies his name, his connection to town-building activity marks him as a figure of social and communal importance.

Significance

Eber son of Elpaal occupies a notable place in the Benjamite genealogy by virtue of his family's association with the founding or rebuilding of the towns of Ono and Lod (1 Chronicles 8:12). This connection to settlement and community-building reflects the broader biblical motif of God working through specific families to establish ordered life in the promised land. For post-exilic readers of Chronicles, such references to ancestral town-building would have resonated powerfully with their own work of restoring cities and communities in Judah, providing both a historical precedent and an encouragement that their labors stood within a long tradition of covenant faithfulness.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherSalahChildJoktanChildPeleg

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 8:12

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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