Who was Heber in the Bible?

Heber was a man from the tribe of Judah, listed as a son of Mered in the genealogical records (1 Chronicles 4:18). His brief mention helps trace the lineage of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Why is Heber mentioned in the Bible?

Heber is mentioned to preserve the genealogical record of Judah, establishing the continuity of the tribe from which King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ would descend. His inclusion underscores the Bible's attention to lineage and God's faithfulness to His promises.

Are there any key events in Heber's life?

The Bible does not record any specific events in Heber's life; he is only listed by name in a genealogy. His significance lies solely in his place within the family line of Judah, as documented in 1 Chronicles 4:18.

Heber

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon

Heber was a son of Mered, from the tribe of Judah. (1Ch.4.18)

Heber

Biography

Heber son of Mered appears in the genealogical lists of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:18, connected to the complex family of Mered, who had both an Egyptian wife (Bithiah, daughter of Pharaoh) and a Jewish wife. Heber is listed among the descendants of Mered's Jewish wife, placing him within the tribal register of Judah. The genealogical context situates Heber in a family whose mixed heritage, Judahite and Egyptian, reflects the broad social and ethnic networks within which the tribe of Judah operated during the pre-monarchic period. Though little more than a name in a genealogical record, Heber's lineage connects him to one of Israel's most prominent and historically significant tribes.

Significance

Heber son of Mered illustrates how the tribal genealogies of Chronicles preserved memory of family branches that would otherwise be entirely lost to history. The chronicler's inclusion of such names reflects a theological conviction that all members of the covenant community, however obscure, belonged to a story that mattered. Heber's placement within a family of notably mixed heritage, including an Egyptian royal connection through Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, also speaks to the permeable boundaries of tribal identity in ancient Israel and anticipates the New Testament vision of a community where ethnic and social distinctions are transcended within the people of God.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherBeriahChildShuaChildShomerSiblingMalchiel

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 4:18

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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