Adbeel
Adbeel was a son of Ishmael and a grandson of Abraham, likely representing an Arab tribe or clan (Gen.25.13; 1Ch.1.29).
Biography
Adbeel was the third son of Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29). He is listed in the genealogy of Ishmael's twelve sons, each of whom became a prince and lent his name to a tribal settlement or clan in the Arabian wilderness regions. Ishmael's sons represented the fulfillment of God's promise that the son of the bondwoman would also become a great nation (Genesis 17:20; 21:13). Adbeel's own name may mean "disciplined by God" or "grieving because of God," and he likely served as an eponymous ancestor of an Arab tribal group, possibly associated with north Arabian peoples known from Assyrian records as the Idiba'il.
Significance
Adbeel's significance lies primarily in his role as a link in the chain of Ishmaelite genealogy, which itself carries profound theological weight. God's promise to bless Ishmael alongside Isaac demonstrates that divine favor extends beyond the narrowly covenantal lineage of Abraham's chosen son. The inclusion of Adbeel and his brothers in Genesis and Chronicles reflects the biblical concern to account for all the nations descending from Abraham, affirming that God's purposes encompass the breadth of humanity even while working through a specific covenant people. Adbeel's listing also prefigures the New Testament revelation that God's family, ultimately defined by faith rather than ethnic descent, would encompass peoples from every nation.
Verse Appearances (2)
Genesis
1 Chronicles
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]