Eder, Edar

EDER, EDAR e’ dər (עֵֽדֶר, flock as place name; prob. Aram. form of עֵזֶר, helper as personal name). 1. A watch tower (migdal) between Bethlehem and Hebron, where Jacob pitched his tent after Rachel’s death, and where Reuben cohabited with Bilhah (Gen 35:21, 22). The JB renders it Migdal-eder. Because of its proximity to Bethlehem where David was born Micah (4:8) refers to it (“O tower of the flock,” KJV, RSV, etc.) and to Ophel (“the stronghold,” KJV), where David’s palace stood in Jerusalem, as symbols of the royal house of David.

2. A town in the Negeb district of Judah (Josh 15:21), identified by some with el-’Adar, c. five m. S of Gaza on the right bank of the Wadi Ghazzeh. The LXX B, however, has Ara, suggesting that Arad (q.v.) is prob. the correct reading (Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible [1967], p. 105).

3. A Benjamite (1 Chron 8:15).

4. A Levite, descendant of Mushi, son of Merari (1 Chron 23:23; 24:30).