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The Hebrew Servant

Genesis 39:17

Potiphar's wife referred to Joseph as "the Hebrew servant." The designation Hebrew first occurs in Genesis 14:13 with reference to Abram. It was applied to the descendants of Abraham, and more specifically, to the descendants of Jacob.

Two ideas exist for the origin of the term. One is that it derives from the name of Eber, the ancestor of Abraham in Mesopotamia (Gen. 10:21, 24, 5). The other is that the term is related to a Hebrew word meaning "cross over," referring possibly to the descendants of those who crossed over either the Euphrates or Jordan Rivers on their way into Canaan. The Greek version of the OT translates Genesis 14:13 as "Abraham, the one who crossed over" instead of "Abraham, the Hebrew."

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