Interesting Facts

• Asher married Adon, the daughter of Aphlal, son of Hadad, son of Ishmael.
• Adon, Asher’s first wife, died without offspring.
• After Adon’s death, Asher married Hadurah, the daughter of Abimael, son of Eber, son of Shem, who was the widow of Malkiel and had a daughter named Serach.
• Asher brought Hadurah and her daughter Serach to the land of Canaan.
• Asher had four sons with Hadurah: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, and Beriah.
• Asher was among the sons of Jacob who carried their father’s bier during the burial procession, positioned on the north side.

Genealogy

• Asher was a son of Jacob.
• His mother was Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid.
• His full brother was Gad [Inferred from them being sons of Zilpah, though not explicitly stated in these excerpts].
• His half-brothers and sister included Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah (children of Leah), Joseph and Benjamin (children of Rachel), and Dan and Naphtali (children of Bilhah) [Inferred from the family context as sons and daughter of Jacob].
• Asher’s first wife was Adon, the daughter of Aphlal.
• Asher’s second wife was Hadurah (also called Ijona), the daughter of Abimael and the former wife of Malkiel, son of Elam.
• Asher’s children with Hadurah were Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, and Beriah. He also raised his stepdaughter Serach.
• The sons of Beriah were Cheber and Malchiel.

Historical Context

Asher lived during a period marked by the family’s settlement in Canaan, the significant event of Joseph’s sale and subsequent rise in Egypt, and the eventual migration of Jacob and his entire household to Egypt due to famine. Cultural norms of the time emphasized the importance of marriage and procreation to establish and grow the family lineage [As evidenced by Asher taking two wives after the first was childless]. The respect for the patriarch is evident in Asher participating in Jacob’s burial according to his father’s instructions. The narrative also touches upon interactions and potential conflicts with other groups in the land, although Asher’s direct involvement in these is not detailed in these excerpts. The eventual secure dwelling of Jacob’s sons and their families in Egypt under Joseph’s leadership forms a significant backdrop to Asher’s later life as depicted.

Narrative

Asher’s individual actions and dialogues are not prominently featured in the provided sources. His narrative is primarily woven into the broader story of Jacob’s sons. The text highlights his marriages, first to Adon and then to Hadurah, and the children he had with his second wife, contributing to the growth of Jacob’s descendants. Notably, he brought his stepdaughter Serach into Jacob’s household, and she was raised there. Asher’s participation in the solemn duty of carrying his father Jacob’s bier to Canaan for burial signifies his role within the family structure and his adherence to filial responsibilities. He is listed among the sons born to Jacob in Padan-aram and later among those who dwelt securely in Egypt with their families. While not a central actor in major conflicts or pivotal decisions highlighted in these excerpts, Asher’s life, as recorded, reflects the familial and genealogical aspects of the early Israelite narrative.