Bible Word Study
עֵרִי
ʻÊrîy · a Erite (collectively) or descendants of Eri
עֵרִי
a Erite (collectively) or descendants of Eri
Definition
The Hebrew word עֵרִי (ʻÊrîy) refers specifically to the descendants of Eri, one of the sons of Gad, the son of Jacob. It is a collective noun, meaning it designates the entire clan or family group tracing their lineage back to this patriarch. The term appears only in the context of tribal genealogies and census lists, specifically in the book of Numbers. It functions as a gentilic, identifying a distinct sub-group within the larger tribe of Gad during the Israelites' wilderness wanderings.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in a genealogical and census context within the Pentateuch. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Numbers 26:16, which records the second census of the Israelites taken on the plains of Moab. Here, the 'Erites' are listed as one of the seven major family clans descended from Gad. Its usage is purely descriptive, identifying a social and military unit within the tribal structure of ancient Israel.
Etymology
The word עֵרִי (ʻÊrîy) is a patronymic noun, derived directly from the personal name עֵרִי (ʻĒrî, H6179), who was a son of Gad (Genesis 46:16). Patronymics are common in Hebrew for forming tribal or clan names, typically by adding the suffix '-i' to a personal name, meaning 'belonging to' or 'descended from.' Thus, ʻÊrîy literally means 'of Eri' or 'descendants of Eri.'
Semantic Range
In its original setting, this term identified a specific kinship group vital for social organization, inheritance of land, and military conscription within the tribe of Gad. Understanding such names highlights the importance of genealogy and tribal identity in ancient Israelite society. These clan divisions were not merely familial but formed the basic administrative and military units of the nation during its formative period in the wilderness and conquest. גָּדִי (Gādîy, H1425) — Refers to the broader tribe of Gad, of which the Erites were a sub-clan.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]