Abiezer

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("father of help".)

1. Oldest son of Gilead, descendant of Manasseh; head of a leading family, of which were Joash and Gideon ( Judges 6:11-24;  Judges 6:34;  Judges 8:2). Gideon soothed the wounded vanity of Ephraim when upbraiding him for not having called in their aid against Midian, saying "Is not the grape of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?" ( Joshua 17:2.) The form is Jeezer in  Numbers 26:30, but (See Jeezer . Originally Abiezer's family must have been E. of Jordan. In  1 Chronicles 7:18 Abiezer is made son of Gilead's sister. The family must have afterward passed to the W. of Jordan; for Joash the Abiezrite lived in Ophrah, which seems to have been on a hill, facing from the S. the Esdraelon plain, the scene of so many contests.

2.  2 Samuel 23:27.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

ABIEZER (‘father is help’). 1 . The name occurs also in the abbreviated form Jezer . He is called the son of Hammolecheth, sister of Machir, the son of Manasseh (  1 Chronicles 7:18 ). His descendants formed one of the smallest clans belonging to the Gileadite branch of the tribe of Manasseh, the best known member of which was Gideon. According to   Judges 6:24;   Judges 8:32 , the Abiezrites were settled at Ophrah; they were the first to obey the summons of Joshua to fight against the Midianites. 2 . An Anathothite, one of David’s thirty-seven chief heroes, who had command of the army during the ninth month (  2 Samuel 23:27 ,   1 Chronicles 27:12 ).

W. O. E. Oestenley.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Abiezer ( Â-Bi-Ç'Zer ), The Father Of Help. Eldest son of Gilead, and descendant of Manasseh,  Joshua 17:2;  1 Chronicles 7:18;  Numbers 26:30, where the name is given in the contracted form Jeezer. He was the ancestor of the great judge Gideon. 2. A native of Anathoth.  2 Samuel 23:27. The name also occurs in  Judges 6:34;  Judges 8:2 : and in an adjectival form, "the Abiezrite," in  Judges 6:11;  Judges 6:24;  Judges 8:32.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Gilead, a descendant of Manasseh,  Joshua 17:1,2 , most probably the same is alluded to in  Numbers 26:30 , under the contracted form of JEEZER. Abiezer became a family name: Gideon blew a trumpet, and Abiezer was gathered after him.  Judges 6:34;  Judges 8:2 .

2. One of David's mighty men.   2 Samuel 23:27;  1 Chronicles 11:28;  1 Chronicles 27:12 .

3. Son of Hammoleketh, and nephew of Gilead,  1 Chronicles 7:18 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 17:2 1 Chronicles 7:18 2 Judges 8:2 Judges 6:11 Judges 6:24 Judges 6:34 Judges 8:32 3 2 Samuel 23:27 1 Chronicles 11:28 1 Chronicles 27:12Jeezer

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Abi-e'zer. (Father Of Help, Helpful).

1. Eldest son of Gilead, and descendant of Manasseh.  Joshua 17:2;  1 Chronicles 7:18. (B.C. 1450). He was the ancestor of the great judge Gideon. See Gideon .

2. One of David's mighty men.  2 Samuel 23:27;  1 Chronicles 11:28;  1 Chronicles 27:12. (B.C. 1014).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Great-grandson of Manasseh,  Numbers 26:29,30 , and founder of the family to which Gideon belonged,  Joshua 17.2;  Judges 6.34;  8.2 . In this last verse, "the vintage of Abiezer" means the first rout of the Midianites by the 300, mostly Abiezrites; and "the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim," means the capture of Oreb and Zeeb, and other fruits of the victory, gathered by the Ephraimites.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

We read of several of this name in the Scriptures. ( Joshua 17:2;  Judges 6:34;  2 Samuel 23:27.) The name is interesting, signifying my Father [God] is my help: from Ab, father; and Hazar, to help.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ab - i - ē´zer , ā - bi - ē´zer ( אביעזר , 'ăbhı̄‛ezer , "father of help," or "my father is help." Iezer, Iezerite (in the King James Version Jeezer , Jeezerite ), is Abiezer with the letter bēth omitted):

(1) A descendant of Joseph the son of Jacob, and head of one of the families of Manasseh that settled West of the Jordan ( Numbers 26:30;  Joshua 17:1-6;  1 Chronicles 7:14-19 ). As he was great uncle to Zelophehad's daughters, who brought a case before Moses ( Numbers 36:1-13 ), he must have been an old man at the time of the conquest. He was the son of Gilead the son of Machir, in the sense of being a more remote descendant, for Machir had sons before the death of Joseph ( Genesis 50:23 ). The Machir that possessed Gilead and Bashan because he was "a man of war" was the Manassite family of Machir, with Jair as its great general ( Joshua 17:1;  Joshua 13:30 ,  Joshua 13:31;  Numbers 32:39-41;  Deuteronomy 3:12-15 ). To Abiezer and other sons of Gilead territory was assigned West of the Jordan.

In later generations the name survived as that of the family to which Gideon belonged, and perhaps also of the region which they occupied ( Judges 6:34;  Judges 8:2 ). They are also called Abiezrites ( Judges 6:11 ,  Judges 6:24;  Judges 8:32 ). The region was West of Shechem, with Ophrah for its principal city.

(2) One of David's mighty men, "the Anathothite" ( 2 Samuel 23:27;  1 Chronicles 11:28 ), who was also one of David's month-by-month captains, his month being the ninth ( 1 Chronicles 27:12 ).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. id., אֲבַיעֶזֶר , Father Of Help, i.e. Helpful; Sept. ‘Αβιέζερ ) , the name of two men.

1. The second of the three sons of Hammoleketh, sister of Gilead, grandson of Manasseh ( 1 Chronicles 7:18). B.C. cir. 1618. He became the founder of a family that settled beyond the Jordan [ (See Ophrah) ], from which Gideon sprang ( Joshua 7:2), and which bore this name as a patronymic ( Judges 6:34), a circumstance that is beautifully alluded to in Gideon's delicate reply to the jealous Ephraimites ( Judges 8:2). (See Abiezrite). He is elsewhere called JEEZER (See Jeezer) , and his descendants Jeezerites ( Numbers 26:30). 2. A native of Anathoth, one of David's thirty chief warriors ( 2 Samuel 23:27;  1 Chronicles 11:28), B.C. 1053. He was afterward appointed captain of the ninth contingent of troops from the Benjamites ( 1 Chronicles 27:12), B.C. 1014. (See David).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Abie´zer (Father of help,  Joshua 17:2), a son of Gilead, the grandson of Manasseh ( Numbers 26:30), and founder of the family to which Gideon belonged, and which bore his name as a patronymic—Abiezrites ( Judges 6:34;  Judges 8:2).