<strong>BERIAH</strong> (bē-rīa, Heb. <em>berî‘âh</em>, meaning uncertain, perhaps <em>gift</em> or <em>evil</em>)<br /><br />

This name is given to a son of Asher the father of Heber and Malkiel (<bibleref ref="Gen.46.17">Gen.46.17</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.7.30">1Chr.7.30</bibleref>). The Beriites were descended from him (<bibleref ref="Num.26.44">Num.26.44</bibleref>).Ephraim called one of his sons Beriah “because there had been misfortune in his family” (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.23">1Chr.7.23</bibleref>). Men of Gath had killed a number of men in the land when they made a raid on the cattle there. If Beriah means “a gift,” he was so named because in the face of Ephraim’s losses, this son was regarded as a gift from the Lord.One of the descendants of Benjamin (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.13">1Chr.8.13</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.8.16">1Chr.8.16</bibleref>). He with his brother “drove out the inhabitants of Gath.” Apparently from him and Shema, his brother, were descended the people of Aijalon (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.13">1Chr.8.13</bibleref>).A Levite, the son of Shimei of the Gershonites. His children, being few, were counted with those of his brother, Jeush (<bibleref ref="1Chr.23.7-1Chr.23.11">1Chr.23.7-1Chr.23.11</bibleref>).<br /><br />

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<strong>BERIAH, BERIITES</strong> <strong>bĭ rī’ ə, bĭ rī’ īts</strong> (<span class="hebrew">בְּרִיעִֽי</span>). 1. A son of Asher and the father of Heber and Malchiel (<bibleref ref="Gen.46.17">Gen 46:17</bibleref>); the ancestral head of the family of the Beriites (<bibleref ref="Num.26.44">Num 26:44</bibleref>).<br /><br />

2. A son of Ephraim, called Beriah by his father because trouble had fallen upon his house (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.23">1 Chron 7:23</bibleref>). Four other sons of Ephraim were put to death by the men of Gath while cattle raiding.

3. A son of Elpaal, a Benjamite of Aijalon, who helped put to flight the inhabitants of Gath (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.13">1 Chron 8:13</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.8.16">16</bibleref>).

4. A Levite, son of Shimei the Gershomite; both he and his brother Jeush had few sons, and “therefore they became a father’s house in one reckoning” (<bibleref ref="1Chr.23.10">1 Chron 23:10</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="1Chr.23.11">11</bibleref>).

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

be-ri’-a, be-ri’-its (beri`ah, "in shouting," probably derived from a Hebrew root meaning "to make noise," or "in evil," from another Hebrew root):<br /><br />

(1) A son of Asher and father of Heber and Malchiel (<bibleref ref="Gen.46.17">Ge 46:17</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.7.30">1Ch 7:30</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.31">31</bibleref>; the head of the family of the Beriites, <bibleref ref="Num.26.44-Num.26.65">Nu 26:44 ff</bibleref>).

(2) A son of Ephraim, called Beriah by his father because "it went evil with his house" (<bibleref ref="1Chr.7.23">1Ch 7:23</bibleref>).

(3) A descendant of Benjamin (<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.13">1Ch 8:13</bibleref>,<bibleref ref="1Chr.8.16">16</bibleref>).

(4) A Levite in the line of Gershon (<bibleref ref="1Chr.23.10-1Chr.23.32">1Ch 23:10 f</bibleref>).