Heber

He'ber the name of seven men, with a difference of orthography in the original. SEE EBER.

1. EBER (Heb. E'ber, עֵבֶר, one of the other side, i.e. of the river, q. d. immigrant; Sept. ῞Εβερ and ῎Εβερ, Vulg. Heber), son of Salah, who became the father of Peleg at the age of 34 years, and died at the age of 464 (Ge 10:24; Ge 11:14; 1Ch 1:25). His name occurs in the genealogy of Christ (Lu 3:35, Ε᾿βέρ, "Heber"). B.C. 2448-1984. There is a degree of interest connected with him from the notion, which the Jews themselves entertain, that the name of Hebrews, applied to them, was derived from this alleged ancestor of Abraham. No historical ground appears why this name should be derived from him rather than from any other personage that occurs in the catalogue of Shem's descendants; but there are so much stronger objections to every other hypothesis, that this, perhaps, is still the most probable of any which have yet been started. (See Gesenius, Geschichte der Heb. Sprache und Schrift, p. 11.) Hence "the children of Eber" (בּנֵי עֵבֶר, Ge 10:21), and simply in poetry

Eber (עֵבֶר, Nu 24:24; Sept. ῾Εβραῖοι, Vulg. Hebraei), i.q. HEBREWS (עַברַים). Several other persons of this (Heb.) name occur, but no others are anywhere Anglicized "Heber."

2. "EBER" (same Heb. word as above; Sept. ῎Ιωβήδ, Vulg. Heber), the last-named of the seven chiefs of the Gadites in Bashan (1Ch 5:13, where the name is Anglicized "Heber"). B.C. between 1612 and 1093.

3. "EBER" (same Hebrew word as above; Sept. ᾿Ωβήδ, Vulg. feber), apparently one of the sons of Shashak, and a chief of the tribe of Benjamin (1Ch 8:22, where the name is Anglicized" Heber"). B.C. ante 598.

4. "HEBER" (Che'ber, חֶבֶר, conmunity, as in Ho 6:9; Pr 21:9; or a spell, as in De 18:11; Isa 47:9,12; Sept. Χόβορ, Χοβέρ, Χάβερ), son of Beriah, and grandson of Asher (Ge 46:17; 1Ch 7:31-32). B.C. apparently ante 1873. His descendants are called HEBERITES (Heb. Chebri', חֶברַי, Sept. Χοβερί, Nu 26:45, where the name of the progenitor is written חֵבֶר).

5. "HEBER" (same Heb. word as last, Sept. Χάβερ, Vulg. Haber), "a descendant of Hobab, which latter was son of Jethro, and brother of the wife of Moses. His wife was the Jael who slew Sisera (B.C. 1409), and he is called Heber the Kenite (Jg 4:11,17; Jg 5:24), which seems to have been a name for the whole family (Jg 1:16). Heber appears to have lived separate from the rest of the Kenites, leading a patriarchal life amid his tents and flocks. He must have been a person of some consequence, from its being stated that there was peace between the house of Heber and the powerful king Jabin. At the time the history brings him under our notice, his camp was in the plain of Zaanaim, near Kedesh, in Naphtali" SEE JAKL; SEE KENITE.

6. "HEBER" (same Heb. word as last, Sept. Α᾿βάρ), apparently a son of Mered (of Judah) by Jehudijah, and "father" of Socho (1Ch 4:18). B.C. post 1612. SEE MERED.

7. "HEBER" (same Heb. word as last, Sept. Α᾿βέρ), one of the "sons" of Elpaal, and a chief of the tribe of Benjamin (1Ch 8:17). B.C. apparently cir. 598.