1443. Eber
Lexical Summary
Eber: Eber

Original Word: Ἔβερ
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Eber
Pronunciation: EH-ber
Phonetic Spelling: (eb-er')
KJV: Eber
NASB: Heber
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H5677 (עֵבֶר - Eber))]

1. Eber, a patriarch

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Eber.

Of Hebrew origin (Eber); Eber, a patriarch -- Eber.

see HEBREW Eber

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Eber
Definition
Heber, an ancestor of Christ
NASB Translation
Heber (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1443: Ἔβερ

Ἔβερ (Rst G), more correctly (L T WH) Ἔβερ (on the accent in manuscripts see Tdf. Proleg., p. 103; Treg. Ἑβέρ, cf. Tdf. Proleg., p. 107; WH. Introductory § 408; cf. B. D. under the word ), , Eber or Heber, indeclinable proper name of a Hebrew: Luke 3:35 (Genesis 10:24f).

Topical Lexicon
Name and Meaning

Eber (“the region beyond,” “the one who crosses over”) is a post-Flood patriarch whose name in Hebrew evokes movement from one side to another. The root idea of crossing foreshadows a spiritual transition that will come to characterize the people later called “Hebrews” (literally, “those from the other side”).

Old Testament Background

Eber appears first in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:21–25) as great-grandson of Shem: Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber. He fathers two sons—Peleg (“division”) and Joktan—during the era when “the earth was divided” (Genesis 10:25), a phrase many link to the dispersal at Babel. Genesis 11:14-17 records that Eber lived 464 years, an extraordinary lifespan that bridges the world immediately after the Flood with the rapidly shortening life spans that follow.

Connection with the Designation “Hebrew”

Abram is called “Abram the Hebrew” in Genesis 14:13. While Scripture never explicitly says the term derives from Eber, the phonetic similarity and genealogical link are strong. Thus, Eber becomes the eponymous forefather of the Hebrews, marking them as a people who “cross over” in obedience—first Abram crossing the Euphrates, later Israel crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan.

Place in the Genealogy of Jesus

Eber’s sole New Testament appearance is in Luke’s inspired genealogy: “...Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah...” culminating in “...the son of Eber, the son of Shelah” (Luke 3:35). By situating Eber in the Messianic line, Luke underscores that the promise of salvation moves through the same historical family God preserved after the Flood, validating the continuity of covenant history.

Theological Themes

1. Preservation of the Seed: Eber represents another vital link in the unbroken chain from Adam to Christ, demonstrating God’s faithfulness in preserving a lineage through which the Redeemer would come.
2. Nations and Division: His lifetime coincides with the scattering at Babel. Yet while tongues divide, God’s redemptive plan remains unified, ultimately gathering all nations in Christ (Ephesians 2:13-16).
3. Identity as Pilgrims: The “crossing-over” motif attached to Eber anticipates the pilgrim ethos later celebrated in Hebrews 11:13—believers are “strangers and exiles on the earth,” continually moving toward the city God has prepared.

Historical Significance

Jewish tradition considers Eber a model of piety who refused idolatry during Babel’s rebellion. Though extra-biblical, this view harmonizes with Scripture’s silence regarding any compromise on Eber’s part and heightens his stature as a righteous bearer of the promise.

Ministry Implications

• Genealogies matter. Luke sets an example for preaching and teaching: even obscure names like Eber proclaim God’s sovereignty over history.
• The church is called to be a “crossing-over” people—leaving the dominion of darkness and entering the kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13).
• Division in language and culture, first seen in Eber’s generation, is overcome at Pentecost when the Spirit enables one gospel to reach every tongue (Acts 2:5-11). Eber’s era reminds us that what sin fractured, Christ and His Spirit reunite.

Lessons for Today

1. Trust the long arc of God’s promises; centuries may pass, but His word stands.
2. Embrace the pilgrim identity—believers are always journeying toward a better country.
3. Engage all nations with the gospel, confident that the same God who guided Eber’s line to Christ now guides Christ’s body to the nations.

Eber, though mentioned only once in the Greek New Testament, embodies the themes of covenant continuity, pilgrimage, and divine faithfulness that pervade all of Scripture.

Forms and Transliterations
Εβερ Ἔβερ Eber Éber
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 3:35 N
GRK: Φάλεκ τοῦ Ἔβερ τοῦ Σαλά
NAS: the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,
KJV: which was [the son] of Phalec, which was [the son] of Heber, which was [the son] of Sala,
INT: of Peleg of Heber of Shelah

Strong's Greek 1443
1 Occurrence


Ἔβερ — 1 Occ.

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