Man living at the time of the Patriarchs
Joktan, a descendant of Shem through Eber, was the ancestor of several Arabian tribes.
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Joktan is mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1Chronicles 1 as a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah. He was the son of Eber and the brother of Peleg (Gen.10.25; 1Ch.1.19). The biblical record states that in the days of Peleg, the earth was divided, possibly referring to the division of languages and nations at the Tower of Babel (Gen.10.25).
Joktan is described as the ancestor of several Arabian tribes. Gen.10.26-29 and 1Ch.1.20-23 list his 13 sons: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. These names are associated with various regions in Arabia, suggesting that Joktan's descendants settled in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
The mention of Joktan and his sons in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) serves to highlight the diversity of peoples and nations that descended from Noah's sons after the Flood. It also demonstrates the fulfillment of God's command to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Gen.9.1).
Although no further details are provided about Joktan's life or his relationship with his descendants, his inclusion in the biblical genealogies emphasizes the connection between the Semitic peoples and the Arabian tribes. It also underscores the importance of genealogical records in ancient Near Eastern societies for establishing family ties and tracing the origins of nations.
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Little, the second of the two sons of Eber (Gen. 10:25; 1 Chr. 1:19). There is an Arab tradition that Joktan (Arab. Kahtan) was the progenitor of all the purest tribes of Central and Southern Arabia.
(small), son of Eber, (Genesis 10:25; 1 Chronicles 1:19) and the father of the Joktanite Arabs. (Genesis 10:30) (B.C. about 2200.)
small dispute; contention; disgust
JOK'TAN (who is made small), a descendant of Shem, ancestor of the Joktanite Arabs. Gen 10:25-30; 1 Chr 1:19-23.
JOK'TAN (who is made small), a descendant of Shem, ancestor of the Joktanite Arabs. Gen 10:25-30; 1 Chr 1:19-23.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
6 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H3355
Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was
And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.