Who was Jokshan in the Bible?

Jokshan was one of the six sons born to Abraham and his second wife, Keturah, after the death of Sarah (Genesis 25:1-2). He was a grandson of Abraham through this later marriage, and his descendants became Arabian tribes.

What is the significance of Jokshan in the Bible?

Jokshan's significance lies in his role in fulfilling God's promise to make Abraham the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-5). His lineage, including his sons Sheba and Dedan, contributed to the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula, showing the breadth of Abraham's legacy.

What key events involved Jokshan in the Bible?

The Bible records no specific events in Jokshan's life. His key 'event' is simply being listed as a son of Abraham and Keturah, and as the father of Sheba and Dedan, establishing his genealogical line (1 Chronicles 1:32).

Jokshan

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleSon

Jokshan was one of the sons born to Abraham and his wife Keturah after the death of Sarah (Gen.25.2,3; 1Ch.1.32,32).

Jokshan

Biography

Jokshan was the second son born to Abraham by his second wife Keturah, whom Abraham married after Sarah's death (Genesis 25:2; 1 Chronicles 1:32). Along with his brothers Zimran, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, Jokshan represents Abraham's continued fruitfulness in old age, a sign of God's blessing even in the patriarch's later years. Genesis 25:3 records that Jokshan fathered two sons: Sheba and Dedan, names associated with prominent trading peoples of Arabia and the ancient Near East. Abraham sent Jokshan and his brothers away with gifts toward the east, distinguishing them from Isaac, the heir of the covenant promise (Genesis 25:6). Jokshan thus stands at the origin of Arabian tribal lineages that would intersect with Israel's history across subsequent generations.

Significance

Jokshan's birth to Abraham and Keturah illustrates the breadth of God's blessing through the patriarch of faith, a blessing that extended to nations beyond the singular line of promise through Isaac. This reflects the Abrahamic covenant's universal dimension: that through Abraham, all families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Jokshan's descendants, Sheba and Dedan, appear repeatedly in prophetic literature as trading nations that would one day acknowledge Israel's God. Theologically, Jokshan represents the penumbra of covenant blessing, those touched by proximity to God's chosen purposes even while standing outside the direct line of redemptive history that runs from Abraham through Christ.

Verse Appearances (3)

Genesis

Genesis 25:2 Genesis 25:3

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:32

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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