1 Chronicles 1:22 — Word Study
WLCוְאֶת־ עֵיבָ֥ל וְאֶת־ אֲבִימָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־ שְׁבָֽא׃
BSAObalʻÊybâl [a son of Joktan] AbimaelʼĂbîymâʼêl [my father is God] ShebaShᵉbâʼ [a region in southern Arabia]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| עֵיבָ֥ל | Ebal | Noun proper masculine |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| אֲבִימָאֵ֖ל | Abimael | Noun proper masculine |
| וְאֶת־ | and the object marker | Conjunction, particle |
| שְׁבָֽא׃ | Sheba | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Obal, Abimael, Sheba, |
| KJV | And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, |
| ASV | and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, |
| YLT | and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, |
| WEB | Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, |
| BBE | And Ebal and Abimael and Sheba |
Where they part company is in the inclusion of the object marker וְאֶת־ — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is simple, listing names without additional clauses or verbs.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 1:22
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Genealogy of Joktangenerated
1 Chronicles 1:22 lists the names of three sons of Joktan, who is a descendant of Shem. This genealogical record is part of a larger narrative that traces the lineage of the Israelites back to their ancestors, providing context for the tribes and nations that descended from them. The names listed here reflect the broader heritage of the people of Israel and their connections to surrounding nations.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 10:28 | Obal, Abimael, Sheba, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֵיבָ֥ל, 'ei.Valgenerated
The word עֵיבָל ('ei.Val) refers to a name associated with a son of Joktan. The name is linked to a mountain known as Ebal, which signifies 'stone' or 'bare mountain' and is mentioned in other biblical texts. In this context, it identifies one of the descendants in the genealogical line.
The parsing as a proper masculine noun indicates that it is a name, specifically of a person rather than a common noun. This distinction is important in genealogical contexts where lineage is traced through named individuals.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb is absent in this genealogical list, as it is typical in such structures. The sentence consists of a series of noun phrases that name the individuals, with the conjunction וְאֶת־ (ve.'Et) serving as an object marker before each name.
The structure is straightforward, with each name presented in a parallel manner, emphasizing the lineage without additional clauses or modifiers.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint does not provide a direct translation for this verse, as it primarily serves as a list of names. This absence indicates that the translators may have viewed the genealogical record as straightforward without needing additional interpretation.
The lack of corresponding Greek words for some Hebrew terms suggests a focus on the names themselves rather than their meanings or implications.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Chronicles 1:22 lists three names: Obal, Abimael, and Sheba, who are all sons of Joktan. This verse is part of a genealogy that traces the descendants of Shem, connecting the Israelites to their ancestors and showing their heritage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The verse mentions Obal, Abimael, and Sheba, who are sons of Joktan, a descendant of Shem.
Genealogies serve to establish lineage, heritage, and the fulfillment of God's promises through specific families and individuals.
Abimael means 'my father is God' and is associated with the descendants of Joktan.
Ebal is mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:29 and Joshua 8:30, where it is referred to as a mountain associated with cursing.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do genealogies help us understand the history of the Israelites?
- What can we learn from the names and meanings of the individuals listed in this verse?
- Why is it important to recognize the connections between different biblical figures?
- How does understanding the lineage of Joktan enhance our comprehension of the biblical narrative?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 1:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba, Ebal - or Obal (Genesis 10:28).
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEbal, or Obal, as it is ; such proper names being oft differently written, according to the difference of times, and people, and writers.
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Chronicles 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE SONS OF SHEM, OR THE SEMITES (1 Chronicles 1:17-23). (17) Blam.—The Elamtum of the Assyrian inscription, the classic Susiana, a mountainous land eastward of Babylonia, to which it was subject in the days of Abraham (Genesis 14). The names Assurϋ, Elamϋ, Kassϋ, and Accadϋ occur together in an old Assyrian list of nations. Κlama, from which the Assyrian and Hebrew names are derived, is Accadian. The native designation was Ansan. The Sargonide kings of Assyria had frequent wars with Elam. Asshur.—Assyria proper, i.e., a district on the Tigris, about twenty-five miles long, between the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh parallels of latitude. Asshur was the name of its older capital and…
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5–23. The “Genealogy” of the Nations The table which follows is taken from Genesis 10:2-29. In the A.V. several variations between Gen. and Chron. occur in the spelling of proper names. In the R.V. the spelling has been made uniform. The table is geographical rather than ethnological, i.e. neighbouring nations are regarded as having the same descent. The world, as known to the writer, is divided into three zones, of which the Northern is assigned to the Sons of Japheth (5–7), the Southern to the Sons of Ham (8–16), and the Central to the Sons of Shem (17–23). Had the arrangement been according to descent the Semitic Zidonians and the (probably Mongoloid) Hittites would not have been equally…
Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
Ebal, Abimael, Sheba,
Tyndale line
And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba;
And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
And Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
Strictly literal
and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
And 'Ebal and Abimael, and Sheba,
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
From the Latin
And Hebal, and Abimael, and Saba,
Simplified
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
And Ebal and Abimael and Sheba
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text lists וְאֶת־ עֵיבָ֥ל וְאֶת־ אֲבִימָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־ שְׁבָֽא׃, and this aligns with the genealogical context. The Septuagint matches only three of the six words, indicating some differences in translation approach, but the essence of the genealogy remains intact.
וְאֶת־ עֵיבָ֥ל וְאֶת־ אֲבִימָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־ שְׁבָֽא׃
3 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 1:22
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
The Hebrew word עֵיבָל (*Eybal*) refers to both a name of an Arabian people descended from Joktan and a mountain known as Ebal, which is associated with cursing in contrast to Mount Gerizim. It is also linked to individuals mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis, specifically as a son of Joktan and a son of Shobal. The name Ebal is interpreted to mean 'stone' or 'bare mountain.'
H5858a עוֹבָל, עֵיבָל n. pr. gent. Arabian people, descended from Joktan H5858b עֵיבָל vel gent. name in Edom H5858c עֵיבָל n. pr. mont. Ebal, the mt. of cursing, N. of Shechem (Nabulus), and opp. Mt. Gerizim (mt. of blessing, S. of Shechem)
5858 `Eybal ay-bawl'
perhaps from an unused root probably meaning to be bald;
bare; Ebal, a mountain of Palestine:--Ebal.
עֵיבָל (e.val) — Obal.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.28;
son of: Joktan (H3355);
brother of: Almodad (H0486), Sheleph (H8026), Hazarmaveth (H2700), Jerah (H3392), Hadoram (H1913A), Uzal (H0187), Diklah (H1853), Abimael (H0039), Sheba (H7614H), Ophir (H0211), Havilah (H2341I) and Jobab (H3103)
Another spelling of o.val (עוֹבָל "Obal" H5745)
§ Ebal = "stone" or "bare mountain"
Arabian people, descended from Joktan
עֵיבָל (e.val) — Ebal.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.23;
son of: Shobal (H7732);
brother of: Alvan (H5935), Manahath (H4506B), Shepho (H8195) and Onam (H0208)
§ Ebal = "stone" or "bare mountain"
a son of Shobal
עֵיבָל (e.val) — (Mount) Ebal.
§ Ebal = "stone" or "bare mountain"
mountain of cursing, north of Shechem and opposite Mount Gerizim
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Ebal
Stony. (1.) A mountain 3,076 feet above the level of the sea, and 1,200 feet above the level of the valley, on the north side of which stood the city of Shechem (q.v.). On this mountain six of the tribes (Deut. 27:12,13) were appointed to take their stand and respond according to a prescribed form to the imprecations uttered in the valley, where the law was read by the Levites (11:29; 29:4, 13). This mountain was also the site of the first great altar erected to Jehovah (Deut. 27:5-8; Josh. 8:30-35). After this the name of Ebal does not again occur in Jewish history. (See GERIZIM.)
(2.) A descendant of Eber (1 Chr. 1:22), called also Obal (
(stone, bare mountain). One of the sons of Shobal the son of Seir. (Genesis 36:23; 1 Chronicles 1:40) Obal the son of Joktan. (1 Chronicles 1:22) comp. Genesis 10:28
De 27:1-28:68; a mountain in Ephraim, over against mount Gerizim, from which it is separated by a valley about five hundred yards wide and three miles long, in which stands the town of Shechem. Both mountains are much alike in length, height, and form, and their altitude is stated not to exceed seven hundred and fifty or eight hundred feet from the level of the valley. As you journey from Jerusalem, and turn to pass through the valley west-northwest to Shechem, mount Ebal is on the right hand and mount Gerizim on the left. Some have described the count of cursing as sterile and desolate, and Gerizim as smiling and fertile. But at present there is little difference between their opposing fronts, which are alike, steep and barren. Mount Gerizim, however, is said to have a more fertile background, and to be a little higher than mount…
ancient heaps
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
אֲבִימָאֵל (Abiyma'el) refers to a man from the time of the Patriarchs, specifically the son of Joktan. The name means 'my father is El (God)' and is associated with various brothers mentioned in Genesis 10:28. The word is built from elements meaning 'father' and a possibly foreign term, indicating its South Arabian roots.
אֲבִימָאֵל n.pr.m. (a father is Ēl; South-Arab. name) son of Jokatan
base
H39 אֲבִימָאֵל son of Jokatan
39 'Abiyma'el ab-ee-maw-ale'
from 1 and an elsewhere unused (probably foreign) word;
father of Mael (apparently some Arab tribe); Abimael, a son of
Joktan:--Abimael.
see HEBREW for 01
אֲבִימָאֵל (a.vi.ma.el) — Abimael.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.28;
son of: Joktan (H3355);
brother of: Almodad (H0486), Sheleph (H8026), Hazarmaveth (H2700), Jerah (H3392), Hadoram (H1913A), Uzal (H0187), Diklah (H1853), Obal (H5745), Sheba (H7614H), Ophir (H0211), Havilah (H2341I) and Jobab (H3103)
§ Abimael = "my father is El (God)"
son of Joktan, descendant of Shem
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
a-bim'-a-el, ab-i-ma'-el ('abhima'el, "my father is God," or "God is father"): The ninth of the thirteen sons of Joktan, who was descendant of Shem, and son of Eber, and brother of Peleg in whose days the earth was divided (Ge 10:25-29; 1Ch 1:19-23). Like some of the other names in this list, the name is linguistically south Arabian, and the tribes indicated are south Arabians. On the Arabic elements in Hebrew proper names see Halevy, Melanges d'epigraphie et d'archeologie semitiques; ZDMG, especially early in 1883; D. H. Muller, Epigraphie Denkmaler aus Arabien; Glaser, Skizze der Gesch. und Geog. Arabiens; and by index Hommel, Ancient Hebrew Tradition; and Gray, Hebrew Proper Names; and F. Giesebrecht, Die alttestamentliche Schatzung des Gottesnamens.
Willis J. Beecher
Abimael
Father of Mael, one of the sons or descendants of Joktan, in Northern Arabia (Gen. 10:28; 1 Chr. 1:22).
(father of Mael), a descendant of Joktan, (Genesis 10:28; 1 Chronicles 1:22) and probably the progenitor of an Arab tribe (Mali).
a father sent from God
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HC/To — Conjunction · particleHC/To
שְׁבָא (Shᵉbâ) refers to Sheba, a name associated with several early figures and a region in southern Arabia. It is linked to multiple descendants of patriarchs, including sons of Joktan and Raamah, and is noted for its meaning of 'seven' or 'an oath.' The entries indicate that Sheba can refer to both individuals and a nation.
שְׁבָא n.pr.gent. et terr. Shᵉbâ, in SW. Arabia
base
H7614 שְׁבָא Shᵉbâ, in SW. Arabia
7614 Shba' sheb-aw'
of foreign origin; Sheba, the name of three early progenitors
of tribes and of an Ethiopian district:--Sheba, Sabeans.
שְׁבָא (she.va) — Sheba.
A man of the Cushites living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.7;
son of: Raamah (H7484);
brother of: Dedan (H1719B); also called Sabean at Job.1.15; 3x
§ Sheba = "seven" or "an oath"
1) son of Joktan and a descendant of Seth
2) son of Raamah, grandson of Cush, and a descendant of Ham
3) son of Jokshan, the son of Abraham by Keturah
4) a nation in southern Arabia
שְׁבָא (she.va) — Sheba.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.28;
son of: Joktan (H3355);
brother of: Almodad (H0486), Sheleph (H8026), Hazarmaveth (H2700), Jerah (H3392), Hadoram (H1913A), Uzal (H0187), Diklah (H1853), Obal (H5745), Abimael (H0039), Ophir (H0211), Havilah (H2341I) and Jobab (H3103)
§ Sheba = "seven" or "an oath"
1) son of Joktan and a descendant of Seth
2) son of Raamah, grandson of Cush, and a descendant of Ham
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Sheba
An oath, seven. (1.) Heb. shebha, the son of Raamah (Gen. 10:7), whose descendants settled with those of Dedan on the Persian Gulf.
(2.) Heb. id. A son of Joktan (Gen. 10:28), probably the founder of the Sabeans.
(3.) Heb. id. A son of Jokshan, who was a son of Abraham by Keturah (Gen. 25:3).
(4.) Heb. id. A kingdom in Arabia Felix. Sheba, in fact, was Saba in Southern Arabia, the Sabaeans of classical geography, who carried on the trade in spices with the other peoples of the ancient world. They were Semites, speaking one of the two main dialects of Himyaritic or South Arabic. Sheba had become a monarchy before the days of Solomon. Its queen brought him gold, spices, and precious stones (
one of the towns of the allotment of Simeon, (Joshua 19:2) probably the same as Shema. (Joshua 15:26)
1. Son of Raamah, Ge 10:7. His posterity is supposed to have settled near the head of the Persian Gulf. See CUSH and RAAMAH.
2. Son of Joktan, of the race of Shem, Ge 10:28. See SABEANS 2.
3. Son of Jokshan, and grandson of Abraham by Keturah, Ge 25:3. He is supposed to have settled in Arabia Deserta.
4. A turbulent Benjamite, who after the death of Absalom made a fruitless effort to excite a rebellion in Israel against David. Being pursued, and besieged in Abel-beth-maachah, near the southern part of Lebanon, he was beheaded by the people of the city, 2Sa 20:1-26.
captivity; old man; repose; oath