Abiezer

Abiezer, also referred to as Iezer or the Abiezrites, was a clan within the tribe of Manasseh, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The clan was named after Abiezer, who was a son of Gilead and a grandson of Manasseh (Numbers 26:30; Joshua 17:2).

The Abiezrites settled in the region of Ophrah, which was located in the territory of Manasseh. Gideon, one of the judges of Israel, belonged to the clan of Abiezer (Jdg.6.11, 24). When Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, he gathered men from his clan and other tribes to form an army (Judges 6:34).

After Gideon's victory over the Midianites, he faced opposition from the men of Ephraim, who complained that they had not been called to join the battle earlier. Gideon tactfully responded, praising the Ephraimites and comparing their achievement to the grapes of Abiezer, implying that their contribution was greater than that of his own clan (Judges 8:2).

Gideon died and was buried in Ophrah of the Abiezrites (Judges 8:32). The clan of Abiezer continued to play a role in the history of Israel, being mentioned in the genealogies of Manasseh (Numbers 26:30; Joshua 17:2).