Lexical Summary Yether: Remnant, remainder, excess, cord Original Word: יֶתֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jether, Jethro The same as yether; Jether, the name of five or six Israelites and of one Midianite -- Jether, Jethro. Compare Yithrow. see HEBREW yether see HEBREW Yithrow NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yathar Definition Moses' father-in-law (see NH3503), also the name of several Isr. NASB Translation Jether (8), Jethro (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs III. יֶ֫תֶר proper name, masculine (abundance; on form and meaning of this and the following proper name see LagBN 52, 198) — 1 father of Moses' wife Exodus 4:18 a (E; probably text error, elsewhere יִתְרוֺ, q. v.) 2 eldest son of Gideon Judges 8:20, ᵐ5 Ιεθερ. 3 father of Amasa 1 Kings 2:5,32; 1 Chronicles 2:17, ᵐ5 Ιεθερ; = יִתְרָא 2 Samuel 17:25, ᵐ5 Ιοθερ, Ιοθορ; ᵐ5L Ιεθερ. 4 men of Judah, ᵐ5 Ιεθερ: a. 1 Chronicles 2:32 (twice in verse). 5 a man of Asher 1 Chronicles 7:38 ( = יִתְרָן 1 Chronicles 7:37), ᵐ5 Ιεθερ, A Ιεθηρ, ᵐ5L [1 Chronicles 7:39] Εθραν. Topical Lexicon JetherPersons Bearing the Name 1. Jether, Gideon’s firstborn (Judges 8:20). Jether, Gideon’s Firstborn Placed before the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna, the youth is urged by his father to execute divine judgment: “Get up and kill them!” (Judges 8:20). His reluctance highlights the gravity of holy warfare and the sobering cost of leadership. Gideon’s request underscores a patriarchal responsibility to participate in God-ordained justice; Jether’s hesitation reminds the reader that courage in obedience is nurtured, not assumed. Jether the Ishmaelite, Father of Amasa Jether’s marriage to Abigail, David’s sister, brings an Ishmaelite into close association with the royal family (1 Chronicles 2:17). Their son Amasa becomes commander of Absalom’s forces, later offered the command of Judah’s army by David (2 Samuel 17:25; 19:13). Joab murders Amasa, and Solomon cites that crime when ordering Joab’s execution: “Amasa son of Jether… he killed them” (1 Kings 2:32). Jether’s line therefore intersects crucial moments in the transition from David to Solomon, illustrating how familial alliances affect the stability of the kingdom. Jether in Judean Genealogies Two men named Jether appear in the family records of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:32; 4:17). One dies without offspring, the other fathers several sons. Together they show the chronicler’s interest in preserving both fruitful and fruitless branches of the covenant people, underscoring that every lineage is accountable before God, whether it flourishes or ends. Jether the Asherite Patriarch Within the tribe of Asher, Jether is listed as the father of Jephunneh, Pispa, and Ara (1 Chronicles 7:38). Asher’s descendants are noted for their courage and aptitude for battle (1 Chronicles 7:40). Jether thus stands among those whose households bolster Israel’s defensive strength in the north, a quiet but necessary contribution to national security. Historical and Redemptive Themes 1. Covenant Inclusion. The presence of an Ishmaelite (Jether) inside David’s family circle anticipates the grafting of Gentiles into God’s redemptive plan (Isaiah 60:3; Romans 11:17). Ministry Applications • Nurturing Courage. Like Gideon’s son, young believers may shrink from difficult obedience. Patient discipleship builds the fortitude needed for decisive action when God calls. Intertextual Connections The varied occurrences of Jether link Judges, Samuel-Kings, and Chronicles, weaving together Israel’s tribal era, monarchy, and post-exilic reflection. This continuity reinforces the reliability of Scripture’s historical witness and exhorts readers to trace God’s consistent purposes from generation to generation. Forms and Transliterations יֶ֑תֶר יֶ֖תֶר יֶ֙תֶר֙ יֶ֥תֶר יתר לְיֶ֣תֶר ליתר lə·ye·ṯer leYeter ləyeṯer ye·ṯer yeter yeṯerLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 8:20 HEB: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְיֶ֣תֶר בְּכוֹר֔וֹ ק֖וּם NAS: So he said to Jether his firstborn, KJV: And he said unto Jether his firstborn, INT: said to Jether his firstborn Rise 1 Kings 2:5 1 Kings 2:32 1 Chronicles 2:17 1 Chronicles 2:32 1 Chronicles 2:32 1 Chronicles 4:17 1 Chronicles 7:38 8 Occurrences |