Eder standard
(2) Eder (the King James Version Edar) or better Migdal Eder, mighdal `edher, "the tower of the flock"; Gader. After Rachel died and was buried "in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem) ....
Where is Eder in the Bible?
Eder appears in the Bible as a location in the Negev region of southern Judah, mentioned in Joshua 15:21 as one of the towns in Judah's territory. The name is also associated with Migdal Eder, meaning "the tower of the flock," which was located between Bethlehem and Hebron in the hill country of Judah. This tower holds theological significance as the place where Jacob pitched his tent after Rachel's death and burial near Bethlehem, as recorded in Genesis 35:19-21. The site represents a landmark in Israel's patriarchal history and the journey through Judah toward Hebron.
In Scripture1 biblical book; 1 with study content
- Joshua
Eder (1)
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain)a, but probably this is too far west.
(2) Eder (the King James Version Edar) or better Migdal Eder, mighdal `edher, "the tower of the flock"; Gader. After Rachel died and was buried "in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem) .... Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder" (Ge 35:19,21). In Ge 35:27 he is described as proceeding to Hebron. This "tower of the flock," which may have been only a tower and no town, must therefore be looked for between Bethlehem and Hebron. Jerome says that it was one Roman mile from Bethlehem. In the Septuagint, however, 35:16 and 21 are transposed, which suggests that there may have been a tradition that Migdal Eder was between Bethel and Bethlehem. There must have been many such towers for guarding flocks against robbers. Compare "tower of the watchman" (2Ki 18:8, etc.). The phrase "Migdal Eder" occurs in Mic 4:8 where Jerusalem is compared to such a tower.
E. W. G. Masterman