עֵרִי (e.ri)
e.ri
Erite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The Hebrew word eri functions as a tribal designation for the descendants of Eri, a son of Gad. It appears only once in the biblical text, within the census record of Numbers 26:16. In this context, it identifies a specific clan group among the Israelites during their wilderness journey.
The name Eri itself is often linked to the root meaning "watchful" or "vigilant," though the tribal form eri serves strictly as a proper noun here. It distinguishes this lineage from other sons of Gad, such as Ziphion and Haggi, highlighting the detailed genealogical structure that organized the tribes in the desert.
This single occurrence underscores the importance of family identity in the Old Testament narrative. By listing these specific clans, the text preserves the heritage of each group, ensuring that even minor lineages are remembered within the broader story of Israel’s formation as a nation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Erite appears in a single census record within the book of Numbers. It identifies a specific family group descending from Eri, one of the sons of Gad. This listing is not merely administrative; it shows that every individual and lineage was known and counted by God during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness.
For your faith today, this detail offers comfort in God's attentiveness to personal history. Even names that appear only once in Scripture are preserved with care. This reminds us that our own stories, however small they may seem, are held within the larger narrative of God’s people. No part of our heritage is forgotten.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Erite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עֵרִֽי\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 26:16
of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
This verse explicitly lists the Erites as a distinct family unit, showing how genealogical records organized the tribes for census and military purposes.