עֶדֶר
𐤏𐤃𐤓
Eder
H5738 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
ʻEder is a personal name, referring to an Israelite individual. As a proper noun, it is used for a descendant listed in genealogies of the tribe of Benjamin. Outside of personal naming, the consonantal root עדר may be associated with the concept of 'herd' or 'flock' in other derivatives, but the form עֶדֶר itself, in this context, functions strictly as a proper name without independent lexical meaning beyond identifying a person.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal), Israelite individual; related root forms: herd, flock (metaphorical or literal in non-proper noun contexts)
Root / Etymology
From the root עדר, which in verbal and noun forms relates to the idea of gathering or arranging animals (to drive or tend a flock). Here, the word is derived as a proper noun, ʻEder, likely as a theophoric or attributive name. Some suggest the proper noun draws metaphorically from the concept of a 'flock' (cf. עֵדֶר, 'herd, flock') but the etymology as a personal name is otherwise unattested outside genealogical lists. The precise reason for personal naming—whether from the base meaning or as a shortened form of a longer theophoric name—is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ʻEder appears as a personal name for an Israelite individual in tribe of Benjamin's genealogy (1 Chronicles 8:15). The name does not occur as a geographical designation or as a common noun in these passages. In other contexts, a closely related form (עֵדֶר) denotes a 'herd' or 'flock,' but the personal name ʻEder is not used in that sense in the Hebrew Bible. English translations have sometimes varied in form (Eder/Ader); these reflect transmission choices rather than distinct Hebrew terms. The use of the name likely reflects typical Israelite onomastic patterns, possibly signaling familial hopes, lineage, or attributes, although the precise motivation is lost to history. During the monarchic and post-exilic periods, proper names like ʻEder were increasingly used without direct semantic reference to their lexical roots. The translation 'Eder, an Israelite' conveys the identification but not the semantic range contained in the common noun usage of the root.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עֲדַר; an arrangement (i.e. drove); Eder, an Israelite; Ader.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עדר (ʿ-d-r) — drive, herd, gather livestock, tend a flock
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H145 | אֶדֶר | mustered herd |
| H4029 | מִגְדַּל־עֵדֶר | flock |
| H4576 | מַעְדֵּר | with the hoe |
| H5737 | עֲדַר | one being absent |
| H5739 | עֵדֶר | mustered herds |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5738-01 |
וָ/עָֽדֶר | vaader | HC/Np |
and Eder | And Eder | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5738-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:15 | וָ/עָֽדֶר | vaader | HC/Np |
and Eder | And Eder |