Peleg
Peleg, a descendant of Shem and ancestor of Abraham, during whose time the earth was divided.
Biography
Peleg was a son of Eber and a descendant of Shem in the line that would ultimately lead to Abraham and the people of Israel. His name, meaning "division," was given because, as Genesis 10:25 records, "in his days the earth was divided." This cryptic statement has been interpreted variously as referring to the division of languages and peoples at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), or possibly a geographical separation of landmasses. Peleg lived 239 years according to Genesis 11:18-19, and he fathered Reu, continuing the Messianic lineage. He appears in the genealogies of both 1 Chronicles 1:19 and Luke 3:35, where he is listed among the ancestors of Jesus Christ, confirming his place in the covenant line from Shem to Abraham to David to Christ.
Significance
Peleg occupies a pivotal position in biblical genealogy, bridging the post-flood world and the patriarchal era. His very name testifies to a defining moment in human history when God scattered the nations, setting the stage for His particular calling of Abraham from among the divided peoples. This division was not merely judgment but preparation: God separated the nations so that He might later reconcile them through the seed of Abraham. Peleg's inclusion in Luke's genealogy of Jesus underscores that Christ came to reunite what was divided, gathering all nations into one people of God. Peleg thus embodies the tension between human scattering and divine gathering that runs throughout Scripture.
Verse Appearances (8)
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]