נְבָיוֹת
Nebajoth, a son of Ismael, and the country settled by him
Definition
Nebajoth (נְבָיוֹת) is a proper noun referring primarily to a person and secondarily to a people and region. It first appears as the name of the firstborn son of Ishmael, Abraham's son through Hagar (Genesis 25:13, 1 Chronicles 1:29). The name also denotes the tribe or nation descended from him, often mentioned alongside his brother Kedar. In prophetic literature, the 'flocks of Nebajoth' are referenced as a source of tribute that will glorify God's restored temple (Isaiah 60:7), indicating their association with pastoral wealth. In a genealogical note, one of Esau's wives is identified as a sister of Nebajoth (Genesis 36:3).
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun in genealogical, historical, and prophetic contexts. It appears five times: three times in Genesis (25:13, 28:9, 36:3), once in 1 Chronicles (1:29) repeating the Genesis genealogy, and once in Isaiah (60:7). In Genesis, it establishes Ishmaelite lineage and intermarriage with the Edomites. In Isaiah, it shifts from a personal/clan name to representing a pastoral-nomadic people group whose wealth is offered to the Lord in the eschatological future.
Etymology
The name נְבָיוֹת (Nebajoth) is derived from the root נוּב (H5107, nûb), meaning 'to bear fruit,' 'to flourish,' or 'to speak prophetically.' It is a feminine plural form, likely meaning 'fruitfulnesses' or 'heights.' This connects the name to ideas of prosperity and abundance, which aligns with the description of his descendants' flocks in Isaiah 60:7. The variant spelling נְבָיֹת (Nebayoth) appears in some texts.
Semantic Range
Nebajoth represents the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael, that he would become a great nation (Genesis 17:20). His inclusion in the genealogies underscores God's faithfulness to His covenants, even with those outside the direct line of promise. In Isaiah 60:7, the tribute from Nebajoth symbolizes the future ingathering of nations—including Ishmaelite descendants—into the worship of the one true God, highlighting the universal scope of God's redemptive plan.
As the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth was considered the progenitor of a significant Arabian tribe. Historical sources outside the Bible, like Assyrian inscriptions, potentially link the name with the Nabataeans, a later prosperous trading kingdom. The reference to his flocks in Isaiah reflects the typical pastoral-nomadic economy of these desert-dwelling tribes, whose wealth was measured in livestock.
Kedar (קֵדָר, H6938) — A brother tribe of Nebajoth, also descended from Ishmael, often mentioned alongside them as representative of nomadic Arabian peoples.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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