844. Asriel

Lexical Summary

Asriel: Asriel

Original Word: אַשְׂרִיאֵל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Asriy'el
Pronunciation: ahs-ree-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (as-ree-ale')
KJV: Ashriel, Asriel
NASB: Asriel
Word Origin: [an orthographical variation for H840 (אֲשַׂראֵל - Asarel)]

1. Asriel, the name of two Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Ashriel, Asriel

An orthographical variation for 'Asar'el; Asriel, the name of two Israelites -- Ashriel, Asriel.

see HEBREW 'Asar'el

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a Manassite
NASB Translation
Asriel (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אַשְׂרִיאֵל proper name, masculine a Manassite (Thes votum Dei, compare above) Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2; 1 Chronicles 7:14.

Topical Lexicon

Name and Place in Israel’s Story

Asriel appears in the Old Testament as a progenitor of the Asrielite clan within the tribe of Manasseh. He is listed among the male descendants of Manasseh during Israel’s wilderness journey and in the records of land allotment after the conquest of Canaan. Though mentioned only three times, his clan helped form the social, military, and spiritual fabric of northern Israel.

Genealogical Context

• Numbers traces Asriel as a son of Gilead, grandson of Machir, and great-grandson of Manasseh (Numbers 26:29–31).
• Chronicles reaches back one generation and names him directly as a son of Manasseh through an Aramean concubine (1 Chronicles 7:14).

The two presentations complement rather than contradict: the Chronicler telescopes the line, while Numbers provides an expanded descent through Gilead. Both emphasize that the clan sprang from Joseph’s firstborn line and therefore shared in the double portion inheritance Joseph received in Jacob’s blessing (Genesis 48:22).

Census and Military Readiness

During the second wilderness census, “the Asrielite clan from Asriel” is counted among the fighting men twenty years old and upward (Numbers 26:31). Their inclusion underscores:

1. Israel’s preparedness to enter the land according to divine command.
2. The continuity of God’s promise to Abraham of offspring as a great nation.

The Asrielites contributed warriors to the half-tribe of Manasseh that later settled east of the Jordan (Numbers 32:39–42) and to those who crossed westward for the conquest (Joshua 1:12–18).

Territorial Allotment

After the conquest, Joshua distributed land “for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh—Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida” (Joshua 17:2). The text indicates:
• The Asrielites received part of the western inheritance between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea.
• Their territory lay within the broader region of the Jezreel and Esdraelon valleys, a fertile and strategically significant area for agriculture, trade routes, and future conflicts recorded in Judges and Kings.

Participation in the allotment fulfilled God’s covenant pledge that every tribe would possess a defined inheritance (Numbers 34:13).

Cross-Cultural Dimension

1 Chronicles highlights Asriel’s maternal Aramean heritage. The mention serves at least two theological purposes:

1. It showcases God’s ability to graft outsiders into His covenant community when they align with His purposes, anticipating later inclusion of Gentiles (e.g., Rahab, Ruth).
2. It reminds post-exilic readers that tribal purity was preserved not through ethnicity alone but through covenant fidelity and obedience.

Ministry and Theological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: Asriel’s clan illustrates how God preserves family lines to accomplish redemptive history. Every listed name in Scripture testifies to His attention to individuals and generations.
2. Inheritance and Identity: The Asrielites received a tangible portion of the Promised Land, a foretaste of the believer’s eternal inheritance in Christ (1 Peter 1:3–4).
3. Corporate Responsibility: Being counted in the census and settling the land required communal obedience. Modern ministry can draw parallels in building unified congregations where every member’s contribution matters (Ephesians 4:16).
4. Inclusivity under God’s Covenant: The Aramean connection prepares readers to appreciate the gospel’s global reach, fulfilled when Jesus commissions disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Key References

Numbers 26:31; Joshua 17:2; 1 Chronicles 7:14

Forms and Transliterations

אַשְׂרִיאֵ֖ל אַשְׂרִיאֵל֙ אשריאל וְאַ֨שְׂרִיאֵ֔ל ואשריאל ’aś·rî·’êl ’aśrî’êl asriEl veAsriEl wə’aśrî’êl wə·’aś·rî·’êl

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 26:31
HEB: וְאַ֨שְׂרִיאֵ֔ל מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָֽאַשְׂרִֽאֵלִ֑י
NAS: and [of] Asriel, the family
KJV: And [of] Asriel, the family
INT: and Asriel the family of the Asrielites

Joshua 17:2
HEB: חֵ֗לֶק וְלִבְנֵ֤י אַשְׂרִיאֵל֙ וְלִבְנֵי־ שֶׁ֔כֶם
NAS: and for the sons of Asriel and for the sons
KJV: and for the children of Asriel, and for the children
INT: of Helek the sons of Asriel the sons of Shechem

1 Chronicles 7:14
HEB: בְּנֵ֣י מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה אַשְׂרִיאֵ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלָ֑דָה
NAS: of Manasseh [were] Asriel, whom
KJV: of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare:
INT: the sons of Manasseh Asriel whom bore

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 844
3 Occurrences

’aś·rî·’êl — 2 Occ.
wə·’aś·rî·’êl — 1 Occ.