Hebrew word · H6063

עָנֵר

'aner

Aner

Personal names of three Amorite brothers (14:13) who were Abram's "masters of covenant," meaning sworn allies. Two of the names are also place names near Hebron: Mamre (the oaks) and Eshcol (a valley).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.14.13;

brother of: Mamre (H4471H) and Aner (H6063)

§ Aner = "boy"

1) one of the Amorite chiefs who aided Abraham in the pursuit of the 4 invading kings

2) a Levitical city west of the Jordan in Manasseh allotted to the Kohathite Levites

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 14:24

Range of meaning

Personal names of three Amorite brothers (14:13) who were Abram's "masters of covenant," meaning sworn allies. Two of the names are also place names near Hebron: Mamre (the oaks) and Eshcol (a valley).

Against the English

English versions simply transliterate the names. The connection to places is lost unless explained.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 13:18; 14:13; 18:1 (oaks of Mamre); 23:17–19 (Mamre beside Machpelah); Num 13:23–24 (Valley of Eshcol).

Where it appears

Genesis · 2

  1. Genesis 14:13 עָנֵ֔ר Aner

    Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram.

    Here: Aner, the third Amorite leader. In v. 24 he goes with Abram and is owed his share of the spoil.

  2. Genesis 14:24 עָנֵר֙ Aner

    I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”

    Here: An Amorite chief allied with Abram (14:13). He is known only from this chapter.

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:70 עָנֵר֙ Aner

    And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the rest of the clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands.

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