Shemer

SHEMER she'-mer (shemer; Semer, Lucian, Semmer):

(1) The owner of the hill which Omri bought and which became the site of Samaria (1 Kings 16:24, shomeron). Shemer may be an ancient clan name. The fact, however, that the mountain was called Shomeron when Omri bought it makes one doubt that the city of Samaria was named after Shemer; the passage is questionable. The real etymology of Samaria roots it in "watch mountain" (see Stade, Zeitschrift, 165 f).

(2) A Merarite (1 Chronicles 6:46 (31), Semmer).

(3) An Asherite (1 Chronicles 7:34, A and Lucian, Somer), called "Shomer" in 1 Chronicles 7:32.

(4) A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:12, Codex Vaticanus Semer; Codex Alexandrinus Semmer; Lucian, Samaiel); the Revised Version (British and American) "Shemed," the King James Version "Shamed."

The Hebrew manuscripts differ; some read "Shemer," others "Shemedh."

Horace J. Wolf

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Bibliography Information

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'SHEMER'".  "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia".  1915.