Gether
Gether was a son of Aram and a grandson of Shem, mentioned in the genealogies of the Table of Nations.
Biography
Gether appears in two parallel genealogical passages, Genesis 10:23 and 1 Chronicles 1:17, as one of the sons of Aram, grandson of Shem, and great-grandson of Noah. Aram was the eponymous ancestor of the Aramean peoples of the ancient Near East, and Gether represents one of the sub-groups or territories that descended from this Semitic branch of Noah's family. His name, along with those of his brothers Uz, Hul, and Mash (or Meshech), is associated with the ethnic and geographic diversity that emerged among Shem's descendants following the dispersion at Babel. Beyond his genealogical placement, the biblical text provides no narrative details about Gether's life, movements, or descendants.
Significance
Gether's presence in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) reflects the Bible's remarkable scope of interest in all humanity as God's creation. The Shem genealogy, within which Gether appears, holds special theological significance as the lineage through which the covenant promises to Abraham and ultimately to Christ would flow. By cataloguing figures like Gether, the biblical author insists that all peoples, not only Israel, trace their origins to a single family and thus to one Creator. The Table of Nations frames all human history as the unfolding of one divine story, with even obscure Semitic clans holding their place in the providential ordering of the nations.
Verse Appearances (2)
Genesis
1 Chronicles
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]