ANER (ā'nêr, Heb. ‘ānēr)
A brother of Mamre the Amorite, Abraham’s ally in battle (Gen.14.13, Gen.14.24).A Levitical city in Manasseh (1Chr.6.70).
ANER ā’ nər (
עָנֵ֔ר). 1. One of three Amorite brothers, including Mamre and Eschol, allies of Abraham in his pursuit after the four kings who had taken Lot captive (
Gen 14:13,
24). Since Mamre is also an old name for Hebron (
Gen 23:19), and Eshcol is the name of a valley near Hebron (
Num 13:23), it is likely that Aner was also the name of a locality.
2. A city of refuge in Manasseh (1 Chron 6:70); site unknown.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)
One of the three "confederates" of Abraham in his pursuit after the four kings (Ge 14:13,14). Judging from the meanings of the two other names, Mamre being the name of the sacred grove or tree (Jahwist) and synonymous with Hebron (Priestly Code); and Eschol--a name of a valley (lit. "grape cluster") from which the personal names are derived--it may be expected to explain the name Aner in a similar way. Dillmann suggested the name of a range of mountains in that vicinity (Comm. at the place and Rosen in ZDMG, XII, 479; Skinner, Genesis, 365).
A Levitical town in Manasseh, West of the Jordan (
1Ch 6:70). Gesenius and others identified it with Taanach of
Jos 21:25. There is, however, no agreement as to its location.
