Lexical Summary Gibbar: Gibbar Original Word: גִּבַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Gibbar Intensive of gbar; Gibbar, an Israelite -- Gibbar. see HEBREW gbar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom gabar Definition "hero," an Isr. NASB Translation Gibbar (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גִּבָּר proper name (Aramaic id. = hero) Ezra 2:20 probably = גִּבְעוֺן Nehemiah 7:25. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Ezra 2:20 records “the descendants of Gibbar, ninety-five”. The name appears only here, embedded in Ezra’s register of those who returned from the Babylonian captivity under Zerubbabel. Historical Setting The list in Ezra 2 enumerates families who left exile in approximately 538 B.C. to re-establish life in Judah. Though individually obscure, each household represents the fruit of God’s covenant faithfulness after the judgment of exile foretold by the prophets. The inclusion of Gibbar’s line among the first wave of returnees situates them at a crucial moment: the rebuilding of the altar (Ezra 3:2), the laying of the temple foundation (Ezra 3:8–13), and the restoration of worship central to Israel’s identity. Textual Considerations In the parallel register of Nehemiah 7:25 most Hebrew manuscripts read “Gibeon” (גִּבְעוֹן), while a minority witness retains “Gibbar.” The variation likely reflects the fluidity of family names over decades of exile and transcription. Whether the line is traced to an ancestral head named Gibbar or to the Benjaminite town Gibeon, the inspired record preserves their participation in the return. Theological Significance 1. Remnant Theology. Gibbar’s family embodies the Isaiah-promised “survivors of the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 10:20-22). Their presence in the list underscores that God preserves a remnant not because of prominence but by sovereign grace (Romans 11:5). Ministry Applications • Encouragement for the Unseen Servant. Gibbar is unknown outside one verse, yet eternally recorded. Faithful believers who labor without recognition can be assured their service is noted by God (Hebrews 6:10). Christological Foreshadowing The post-exilic return prepared the stage for Messiah’s advent. By contributing to the rebuilding of the temple and city, the descendants of Gibbar participated—however indirectly—in preserving the environment into which Jesus would later come. Their account anticipates the Savior who, though “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3), would prove the ultimate Strong One, establishing an indestructible kingdom (Hebrews 12:28). Summary Gibbar, though mentioned but once, stands as a quiet witness to God’s restorative purposes, the value of every covenant member, and the enduring strength granted to those who trust and obey the Lord. Forms and Transliterations גִבָּ֖ר גבר ḡib·bār gibBar ḡibbārLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 2:20 HEB: בְּנֵ֥י גִבָּ֖ר תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ NAS: the sons of Gibbar, 95; KJV: The children of Gibbar, ninety INT: the children of Gibbar ninety and five 1 Occurrence |
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