Who was Ezbon in the Bible?

Ezbon, also called Ozni, was a son of Gad, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. He became the founding ancestor and head of the Oznite clan within the tribe of Gad (Numbers 26:16).

What is the significance of Ezbon in the Bible?

Ezbon's significance lies in his role as a clan founder, which helped establish the tribal structure of Israel. His descendants, the Oznites, were counted in the census of Israel's fighting men, contributing to the military organization of the tribe of Gad (Numbers 1:24-25).

Are there any key events in Ezbon's life?

The Bible does not record specific life events for Ezbon. His mention is primarily genealogical, identifying him as a son of Gad and the progenitor of a clan that was part of Israel's inheritance in the Promised Land (Genesis 46:16).

Ezbon

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Ezbon, also known as Ozni, was a son of Gad and the head of the Oznite clan.

Ezbon

Biography

Ezbon, also identified as Ozni in Numbers 26:16, was a son of Gad and the eponymous ancestor of the Oznite clan within the tribe of Gad. He appears in Genesis 46:16 among the seventy descendants of Jacob who migrated to Egypt, and again in the census of Numbers 26 as the founder of a named Gadite clan. The dual naming, Ezbon in Genesis, Ozni in Numbers, reflects a common biblical phenomenon of shortened or variant forms of names across different textual traditions. As the head of the Oznite clan, Ezbon represents one of the founding families of Gad, the tribe descended from Jacob's seventh son through Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Gad's tribal territory was assigned east of the Jordan River during the Israelite settlement of Canaan.

Significance

Ezbon/Ozni's dual appearance in the Genesis migration list and the Numbers census demonstrates how the biblical writers meticulously tracked the growth of Israel from a single extended family into a tribal nation. His inclusion in both records confirms that even small sub-clans within Israel's tribal structure were recognized and preserved in the national memory. The Gadite tribe, of which Ezbon's descendants formed a part, was known for its warrior character (Deuteronomy 33:20–21) and its strategic position on Israel's eastern frontier. The covenant community's identity as twelve-tribed Israel depended on genealogical continuity through families like Ezbon's, underscoring the biblical theme that God's purposes are fulfilled through communities across generations, not only through heroic individuals.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherGad

Verse Appearances (2)

Genesis

Genesis 46:16

Numbers

Numbers 26:16

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]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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