Hebrew word · H72

אֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר

'even

Ebenezer

ʿEzer means help, aid or support, most often the decisive help of a stronger party for someone who cannot manage alone. It is also used of human allies, such as Egypt's useless “help” (Isaiah 30:5). The famous ʿezer kenegdo of Genesis 2:18 uses the same noun.

Appears 6 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

§ Ebenezer = "stone of help"

memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines-north of Jerusalem

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 1 Samuel 7:12

Range of meaning

ʿEzer means help, aid or support, most often the decisive help of a stronger party for someone who cannot manage alone. In the Hebrew Bible it is used mostly of God as Israel's help, and often in military or rescue settings: “the God of my father was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh's sword” (Exodus 18:4); “the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph” (Deuteronomy 33:29); “my help comes from Yahweh” (Psalm 121:2). It is also used of human allies, such as Egypt's useless “help” (Isaiah 30:5). The famous ʿezer kenegdo of Genesis 2:18 uses the same noun. The name Eben-ha-ezer means “the Stone of the Help”, with the article pointing to a particular act of help.

Against the English

Most English versions keep the Hebrew name, “Ebenezer”, and leave readers to supply the meaning; the NLT adds a gloss in brackets. English “help” can sound like modest assistance. The Hebrew word, especially here, points to rescue by someone stronger.

How it drifted

The name became familiar in English mainly through Robert Robinson's 1758 hymn “Come Thou Fount” (“Here I raise my Ebenezer”), and later as a personal name (Dickens's Scrooge). That made it sound like a vague devotional word or a man's name, cut off from its battlefield setting.

Used elsewhere in the period

Help words built on ʿzr are common in Northwest Semitic personal names that praise a god as helper: Hebrew Eliezer, Azariah, Azriel; Aramean Hadadezer (“Hadad is help”, 2 Samuel 8:3). Hadad was the storm god, and here Yahweh helps by thunder. Some scholars link one use of the root with Ugaritic ġzr (“hero, strong one”) and argue that ʿezer sometimes means “strength”, but this is debated. The LXX translates the name in this verse as “stone of the helper”.

Where it appears

1 Samuel · 6

  1. 1 Samuel 4:1 הָאֶ֣בֶן הָעֵ֔זֶר <the> Eben-, -ezer

    Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

  2. 1 Samuel 5:1 מֵאֶ֥בֶן הָעֵ֖זֶר from Eben-, <the> -ezer

    After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

  3. 1 Samuel 7:12 אֶ֣בֶן הָעָ֑זֶר Eben-, -ezer

    Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”

    Here: First element of the name “Eben-ezer”: “Stone of …”.

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