Ohad
Ohad was one of the sons of Simeon, as listed in the genealogies.
Biography
Ohad was a son of Simeon, the second son of Jacob and Leah, listed among the descendants of Israel who migrated to Egypt during the great famine (Genesis 46:10; Exodus 6:15). As a member of the patriarchal generation that accompanied Jacob's household to Egypt, Ohad was part of the seventy souls whose relocation to Goshen fulfilled God's earlier revelation to Abraham that his descendants would sojourn in a foreign land (Genesis 15:13). Notably, Ohad's name is absent from the later genealogies of Simeon found in Numbers 26:12-14 and 1 Chronicles 4:24, suggesting that his family line may not have continued as a distinct clan through the wilderness period. His brief mention nonetheless secures his place within Israel's foundational genealogical record.
Significance
Though Ohad appears only in genealogical lists, his inclusion in Scripture reflects the biblical conviction that every member of God's covenant community matters. His presence among those who went down to Egypt connects him to the pivotal transition from patriarchal family to emerging nation. The disappearance of his name from later Simeonite genealogies has prompted scholarly discussion about clan absorption or extinction during the Egyptian sojourn, illustrating how the biblical narrative honestly records both growth and loss within Israel's tribes. Ohad's brief appearance reminds readers that God's redemptive purposes encompass entire families and communities, not merely prominent individuals.
Verse Appearances (2)
Genesis
Exodus
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]