Who Are The Hebrews, And Where Did They Originate?

Name: Rochelle
Question: What does Hebrew mean?

Answer: Thank you for the question Rochelle.

Who Are The Hebrews?

The word Hebrew first appears in Genesis 14:13 where “Abram” was called “the Hebrew”.

“Abram’s” name was later changed by God to “Abraham” who became the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel, (Genesis 17:5).

The word “Hebrew” in your Strong’s Concordance means,

An Eberite (that is, Hebrew) or descendant of Eber: – Hebrew (-ess, woman).

So a Hebrew is a descendant of Eber, but this word also identifies where the Hebrews came from. The Bible tells us Eber was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah, (Genesis 10:1, 11:11-26).

If we continued tracing the family lineage, it would take us to Adam and Eve. This was the family God chose to use in order to spread His Word to the world, (Genesis 5:1-29).

The word Hebrew also identifies the same people who later became known as the Israelites. The Israelites are the descendants of Jacob whose name was changed by God to Israel, (Genesis 32:28). Hence how they obtained the name, “Israelites”, simply identifying them as sons of Jacob.

Of course, Jacob is the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, and through Jacob would come the Everlasting Covenant God made to Abraham, (Genesis 22:17-18).

Where Did The Hebrews Originate?

Now the origin of the word “Hebrew” does not stop with the definition we found above. You will notice the word Hebrew comes from Strong’s word H5677, which comes from H5676 meaning,

From H5674; properly a region across; but used only adverbially (with or without a preposition) on the opposite side (especially of the Jordan; usually meaning the east): –    X against, beyond, by, X from, over, passage, quarter, (other, this) side, straight.

Note: from the root word H5674 “to cross over”.

We can clearly see, the word Hebrew has a much deeper meaning, and references a geographical location or direction from where the Hebrews migrated from.

So not only does Hebrew mean a descendant of Eber, but it identifies a people who came from “the east” and “crossed over” from the “other side”.

The Hebrews crossed over from where?

Please turn your Bible with me to,

Joshua 24:2-3
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

This word “flood” means,

A stream (including the sea; especially the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity: – flood, river.

Our Heavenly Father brought the Hebrews, Abraham and his family from the other side of the Euphrates River into the land of the Chaldees (Ur). God would later lead Abraham and his family to the land of Canaan (Haran) which was “westward of the Jordan” River, (Genesis 11:26-28,31, Canaan: Smith’s Bible Dictionary).

So before Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, Abraham crossed it.

We now know, the Hebrews came from ‘the east, crossing over’ from the “other side” of the Euphrates River. Since Abraham was a descendant of Noah, and Noah’s Ark landed on the Mountains of Ararat which is east of the Euphrates, this comes as no surprise, (Genesis 8:4).

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