Who was Hazarmaveth in the Bible?

Hazarmaveth was a son of Joktan and a descendant of Shem, Noah's son. He is listed in the genealogical 'Table of Nations' which traces the spread of humanity after the flood (Genesis 10:26; 1 Chronicles 1:20).

What is the significance of Hazarmaveth?

Hazarmaveth's significance is primarily genealogical, as his inclusion helps document the lineage of Shem's descendants. His name is also associated with a region in Southern Arabia, suggesting a connection to the origins of certain Arabian tribes.

What key events happened in Hazarmaveth's life?

The Bible records no specific events in Hazarmaveth's life. His mention is limited to his genealogical listing as a son of Joktan, indicating his place in the family line that populated parts of the ancient world.

Hazarmaveth

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleSon

Hazarmaveth was a son of Joktan, a descendant of Shem, mentioned in the Table of Nations. (Gen.10.26; 1Ch.1.20)

Hazarmaveth

Biography

Hazarmaveth was a son of Joktan, numbered among the Semitic peoples in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:26; 1 Chronicles 1:20). His name is linguistically significant: it appears to be cognate with Hadramawt, a region of southern Arabia known from ancient South Arabian inscriptions and still recognized today in the Hadramaut valley of Yemen. As the eponymous ancestor of this people, Hazarmaveth represents one of the more identifiable figures in the Joktanite genealogy, providing a rare point of convergence between biblical genealogy and extra-biblical historical geography. His inclusion among Shem's descendants situates the South Arabian peoples within the Semitic family of nations.

Significance

Hazarmaveth offers one of the clearest examples of how the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 preserves genuine ethnographic and geographical memory. The correspondence between his name and the ancient South Arabian region of Hadramawt lends historical credibility to the biblical genealogy and underscores that these lists were not mere literary constructions. More broadly, Hazarmaveth's place among the nations reflects the biblical teaching that God's sovereign ordering of human geography (Acts 17:26) encompasses the entire post-flood world. Even distant and little-known peoples find their place within the sacred genealogy that ultimately grounds all human history in one Creator.

Verse Appearances (2)

Genesis

Genesis 10:26

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:20

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]

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