Now, let’s root out this name and where it came from, and put an end to nonsense. Genesis 10:21 "Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born."
Eber: H5677 עֵבֶר `Eber (ay'-ɓer) n/p.
Eber, the name of two patriarchs and four Israelites.
[from H5674]
KJV: Eber, Heber.
Root(s): H5674
From H5674? let’s go to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible (AHLB).
H5674: Strong's #5674: AHLB#2520 (V)
The crossing over or passing through a land or water to gain access to the side beyond. [from: rb - filling a land] (eng: over; ford - with the exchange of the f and b; ferry)
V) Ah-BR) — Cross: To cross over a river or cross through a land. [Hebrew and Aramaic] [freq. 573] (vf: Paal, Niphal, Hiphil, Hitpael, Piel, Participle) |kjv: over, pass, through, go, away| {H5674, H5675}
Nm) Rbo% (Rbo% Ah-BR) — I. Side: As being across from the other side. II. Beyond: Across the other side. [Hebrew and Aramaic] [freq. 91] |kjv: over, pass, through, go, away| {H5676}
Nf1) Ero% (Erbo% AhB-RH) — Wrath: As crossing over from peace. [freq. 37] |kjv: wrath, rage, anger| {H5678, H5679}
am) Rbom% (Rbom% MAh-BR) — Crossing: A place in the river for crossing. [freq. 11] |kjv: ferry| {H4569}
dm) Rfbo% (Rfbo% Ah-BWR) — I. Produce: As what passes over the land. [ms: rbe] II. Purpose: In the sense of crossing over to something [ms: rbe] [freq. 10] |kjv: corn, sake, that, because, intent, deed, to| {H5668, H5669}
now look up H5674 and 75 will tell you the same thing in the (AHLB). ...... (smile).
see in Genesis 14:13 this is a epithet of Abraham..... notice the singularity of one person Abraham, "THE", "THE" Hebrew, and not in reference to many but one person. read your bible and look up definitions.
101G.
Something of interest-
(21-23) shem . . . the brother of Japheth the elder.—Really, the elder brother of Japheth. Though the rules of Hebrew grammar will admit of no other rendering,
it is remarkable that both the Syriac and the Vulg. make the same mistake as our own version. In
designating Shem as “the father of all the children of Eber,” attention is called to the fact that the descendants of Peleg, his elder son, are omitted from this table, and reserved for the Tôldôth Shem. (See Gen_11:10.)
Your problem seems to be that verse 21 is translated differently, depending upon the translation.
KJV Genesis 10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
ASV Genesis 10:21 And unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born.
NIV Genesis 10:21 Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was {21 Or Shem, the older brother of} Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber.
NAS Genesis 10:21 And also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born.
NRS Genesis 10:21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born.
NLT Genesis 10:21 Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. <1> Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.
NJB Genesis 10:21 Shem too fathered sons, being ancestor of all the sons of Eber and Japheth’s elder brother.
The difficulty is that translators have understood the Hebrew text of Genesis 10:21 differently. Since we know from 9:18 that Shem is the oldest brother, the translation of the New American Standard (with a marginal note, giving the literal rendering) is most accurate. The New Living Translation is certainly the easiest and simplest to read.
1 Editor’s Note: This article takes the order of sons in Gen. 9:18 as primary, and focuses on explaining the seeming discrepancy of who was the firstborn as might be challenged by the different interpretations of Gen. 10:21. An additional question could be raised on the identity of the second born from Gen. 9:24. The comparative Hebrew word there could be translated as “younger” or “youngest” (cf. KJV, NKJV, vs. NET, NASB, ESV, NIV, etc.). Fausset’s Bible Dictionary is also helpful for comparison on this point. Ham’s son Canaan may be the referent, or it might simply be a reference to Ham being younger than Shem.
Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber.
"Father" must be taken here in a general sense for "ancestor;" and "all the children of Eber," viewed literally, would include the descendants of Joktan as well as of Peleg; nay, all the posterity of Peleg, also Ishmael and Esau, as well as the Arabs and Edomites; Jacob and the Israelites.
It is better not to consider Eber here as a patronymic, but a preposition, 'beyond,' on 'the other side' - i:e., of the Euphrates. His descendants pushed their wanderings to the banks of the Euphrates, but no further. Shem was the father of all these who were established on the other side of the river. This view sustains the ethnological character of this chart. At the same time it must be admitted that the general opinion has long been to consider that it was the purpose of the sacred historian to indicate a connection between Shem, the common ancestor, and a particular tribe of his descendants through Eber, he being selected for notice as the last of the patriarchs previous to the separation of mankind into nationalities, and one branch of his descendants being of special interest.
