Abiezer אֲבִיעֶ֫זֶר
Clan of Manasseh, home of Gideon
Biography
Abiezer, also referred to as Iezer or the Abiezrites, was a clan within the tribe of Manasseh, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The clan was named after Abiezer, who was a son of Gilead and a grandson of Manasseh (Num.26.30; Jos.17.2).
The Abiezrites settled in the region of Ophrah, which was located in the territory of Manasseh. Gideon, one of the judges of Israel, belonged to the clan of Abiezer (Jdg.6.11, 24). When Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, he gathered men from his clan and other tribes to form an army (Jdg.6.34).
After Gideon's victory over the Midianites, he faced opposition from the men of Ephraim, who complained that they had not been called to join the battle earlier. Gideon tactfully responded, praising the Ephraimites and comparing their achievement to the grapes of Abiezer, implying that their contribution was greater than that of his own clan (Jdg.8.2).
Gideon died and was buried in Ophrah of the Abiezrites (Jdg.8.32). The clan of Abiezer continued to play a role in the history of Israel, being mentioned in the genealogies of Manasseh (Num.26.30; Jos.17.2).
Family
Siblings
- Helek Tribe of ManassehSon of GileadSon of Gilead, ancestor of the Helekites.View full profile →
- Asriel Tribe of ManassehSon of GileadSon of Manasseh, founder of the Asrielite clanView full profile →
- Shechem Tribe of ManassehSon of ShemidaSon of Shemida, a ManassiteView full profile →
- Shemida Tribe of ManassehSon of GileadSon of Gilead, great-grandson of ManassehView full profile →
- Hepher Tribe of ManassehSon of GileadSon of Gilead, ancestor of the Hepherites.View full profile →
In Scripture
3 biblical books ; 1 with study contentJoshua 1 verse
- Joshua 17:2
"So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male..."
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Judges 5 verses
- Judges 8:2
"He said to them, “What have I now done in comparison with you? Isn’t the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?"
- Judges 6:34
"But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him."
- Judges 6:11
"Yahweh’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites."
- Judges 6:24
"Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
- Judges 8:32
"Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
Numbers 1 verse
- Numbers 26:30
"These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲבִיעֶ֫זֶר | H0044I |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | אֲבִיעֶ֫זֶר | H0044I |
| Named | Hebrew | אִיעֶזֶר | H0372 |
| Group | Hebrew | אֲבִי הָעֶזְרִי | H0033 |
| Group | Hebrew | אִיעֶזְרִי | H0373 |