Bible Dictionary
Abiezer
Abiezer was a descendant of Manasseh and head of a family settled west of the Jordan. Gideon belonged to this family; the name also identifies one of David’s mighty men.
Definition
Abiezer means “father of help” or “my father is help.” It designates a descendant of Joseph through Manasseh and the head of a Manassite family settled west of the Jordan. The name also belonged to one of David’s mighty men, called the Anathothite.
Biblical Usage
The family of Abiezer was associated with Gideon, whose clan was called the Abiezrites. Abiezer was also the name of one of David’s mighty men and one of David’s month-by-month captains, serving in the ninth month.
Historical Background
The Manassite Abiezer belonged to the families settled west of the Jordan, with territory associated with the region west of Shechem and Ophrah as its principal city. He was a more remote descendant of Gilead and was related to the family of Machir.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(father of help, helpful).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ab-i-e'-zer, a-bi-e'-zer ('abhi`ezer, "father of help," or "my father is help." Iezer, Iezerite (in the King James Version Jeezer, Jeezerite), is Abiezer with the letter beth omitted):</p><p>(1) A descendant of Joseph the son of Jacob, and head of one of the families of Manasseh that settled West of the Jordan (Nu 26:30; Jos 17:1-6; 1Ch 7:14-19). As he was great uncle to Zelophehad's daughters, who brought a case before Moses (Nu 36), 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 (Ge 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 (Jos 17:1; 13:30,31, Nu 32:39-41, De 3:12-15). To Abiezer and other sons of Gilead territory was assigned West of the Jordan.</p><p>In later generations the name survived as that of the family to which Gideon belonged, and perhaps also of the region which they occupied (Jud 6:34; 8:2). They are also called Abiezrites (Jud 6:11,24, 8:32). The region was West of Shechem, with Ophrah for its principal city.</p><p>(2) One of David's mighty men, "the Anathothite" (2Sa 23:27; 1Ch 11:28), who was also one of David s month-by-month captains, his month being the ninth (1Ch 27:12).</p><p>Willis J. Beecher</p>