☀️
← Back to Lexicon
H373 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אִיעֶזְרִי
Iezri
Adjective (gentilic)
Iezerite — of the clan of Iezer

Definition

The Hebrew Iezri (אִיעֶזְרִי) is the gentilic adjective for a member of the clan descended from Iezer (Abiezer) of the tribe of Manasseh. It appears in Numbers in the census of Israel's clans before entering the Promised Land. Gideon the judge was an Iezerite (Abiezrite), making this designation the family identity of one of Israel's most celebrated deliverers.

Usage & Theological Significance

The gentilic names in Israel's tribal lists — Iezerite, Machirite, Gileadite — are not bureaucratic labels but identity markers connecting individuals to covenant community. To be an Iezerite was to belong to a clan whose very name declared 'my father is help.' In a real sense, one's gentilic identity was a theological statement — your family stood within the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Gideon said 'My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family' (Judg 6:15), his Abiezrite/Iezerite identity made his calling all the more remarkable: the weakest branch of a clan named 'father-is-help' was chosen, because God delights to demonstrate His help through the weak.

Key Bible Verses

Numbers 26:30 These were the descendants of Manasseh: through Iezer, the Iezerite clan.
Judges 6:15 Pardon me, my lord, Gideon replied, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.
Judges 6:11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite.
1 Chronicles 7:18 His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishhod, Abiezer and Mahlah.
Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Related Words

🌙
☀️