Lexical Summary Geber: Geber Original Word: גֶּבֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Geber The same as geber; Geber, the name of two Israelites -- Geber. see HEBREW geber NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom gabar Definition an Isr. name NASB Translation Geber (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. גֶּ֫בֶר proper name, masculine an official of Solomon 1 Kings 4:19 (compare בֶּןגֶּֿבֶר 1 Kings 4:13, p. 122 above) Topical Lexicon Identity and Historical Setting Geber (Strong’s Hebrew 1398) appears singularly in the Old Testament at 1 Kings 4:19. He served during the reign of King Solomon, a period marked by national peace, economic expansion, and unprecedented administrative organization within Israel (1 Kings 4:20–25). Administrative Role in Solomon’s Kingdom Solomon divided his realm into twelve taxation districts, each supervised by an official charged with provisioning the royal court for one month per year (1 Kings 4:7). Geber was appointed over the Trans-Jordanian territory “in the land of Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan). There was only one governor in the land” (1 Kings 4:19). His jurisdiction included regions formerly held by two formidable foes of Israel—Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21–35)—highlighting the completeness of Israel’s conquest and Solomon’s effective consolidation of the land east of the Jordan. Geographical Significance Gilead, Bashan, and the adjoining plateaus were renowned for fertile pasturelands and strategic trade routes. By assigning a single trusted officer to this vast and valuable territory, Solomon ensured direct royal oversight of critical resources: Theological Implications 1. Fulfillment of Promise: Geber’s commission signifies the realization of God’s covenantal pledge to give Israel the land formerly ruled by Sihon and Og (Deuteronomy 3:1–22). Under Solomon, Israel enjoys dominion from Dan to Beersheba and beyond, mirroring the territorial ideals stated in Joshua 21:43–45. Ministry Lessons and Contemporary Application • Faithful Stewardship: Geber models diligence in an assigned sphere. Church leaders today—pastors, elders, ministry heads—are similarly called to oversee specific “territories” within the body of Christ (1 Peter 5:1–3). Related Passages for Further Study Numbers 21:21–35 – Background on Sihon and Og. Deuteronomy 3:12–17 – Allotment of Gilead and Bashan to Israel. 1 Kings 4:1–19 – Structure of Solomon’s officials, placing Geber in context. Proverbs 22:29 – Diligence leading to service before kings. Forms and Transliterations גֶּ֥בֶר גבר ge·ḇer geḇer GeverLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 4:19 HEB: גֶּ֥בֶר בֶּן־ אֻרִ֖י NAS: Geber the son of Uri, KJV: Geber the son of Uri INT: Geber the son of Uri |
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