Greek word · G768

Ἀσήρ

asēr

Asher

Asher, Jacob's eighth son by Zilpah (Genesis 30:13; the name is linked to "happy, blessed"), and the tribe settled in the western Galilee along the coast.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Ἀσήρ, ὁ indecl. (Heb. אָשֵׁר),

Asher: Luke 2:36, Revelation 7:6.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Luke 2:36

Range of meaning

Asher, Jacob's eighth son by Zilpah (Genesis 30:13; the name is linked to "happy, blessed"), and the tribe settled in the western Galilee along the coast.

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate the name. What a modern reader misses is the weight of the name: Asher belonged to the northern kingdom, which Assyria deported in 722 BC.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jacob's and Moses' blessings promise Asher rich food and many children (Genesis 49:20; Deuteronomy 33:24). When Hezekiah held his Passover, "some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem" (2 Chronicles 30:11), so some northern families did join Judah. Tobit tells of a pious exile from Naphtali, another northern tribe. Josephus (Antiquities 11.133) says the ten tribes still lived beyond the Euphrates in great numbers. Hope for the twelve tribes to be gathered again runs through Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 37:15–28, Psalms of Solomon 17:26–28, and the Qumran War Scroll.

From the study of Revelation 7:6

Range of meaning

Personal and tribal name, from Hebrew 'Asher, linked to 'ashar, 'to call blessed/happy' (Gen 30:13: 'Happy am I! For women will call me happy').

Against the English

KJV's 'Aser' copies the Greek spelling. Modern versions restore the Hebrew 'Asher'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Asher's land was the coastal strip north of Carmel. Assyria swallowed that territory in the late 8th century BC. Even so, Luke 2:36 shows that some Jews in the first century still traced their descent to Asher.

Where it appears

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 2:36 Ἀσήρ· of Asher;

    There was also a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, who was well along in years. She had been married for seven years,

    Here: One of the northern tribes, scattered by Assyria in the 8th century BC and often counted among the "lost" tribes. A woman of Asher in the Jerusalem temple stands for the northern tribes still being part of Israel.

Revelation · 1

  1. Revelation 7:6 Ἀσὴρ of Asher

    from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

    Here: Jacob's son by Zilpah, Leah's servant. His name means 'happy/blessed' (Gen 30:13). Asher was a northern tribe on the Phoenician coast. The name is Hebrew and does not change its ending in Greek.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.