5454. Sabta or Sabtah

Lexical Summary

Sabta or Sabtah: Sabta or Sabtah

Original Word: סַבְתָּא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Cabta'
Pronunciation: sab-taw'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-taw')
KJV: Sabta, Sabtah
NASB: Sabta, Sabtah
Word Origin: [probably of foreign derivation]

1. Sabta or Sabtah, the name of a son of Cush, and the country occupied by his posterity

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Sabta, Sabtah

Or Cabtah {sab-taw'}; probably of foreign derivation; Sabta or Sabtah, the name of a son of Cush, and the country occupied by his posterity -- Sabta, Sabtah.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
probably of foreign origin
Definition
a son of Cush, also the territory settled by his desc.
NASB Translation
Sabta (1), Sabtah (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

סַבְתָּה, סַבְתָּא proper name, of a people 3rd 'son' of Cush according to Genesis 10:7 (הָ֯), = 1 Chronicles 1:9 (אָ֯); identification with Σαββαθα [Periplus maris Erythr.²⁷], Σαυβαθα Ptol^{vi. 7, 38}, or Σαβατα [Strabo^{xvi. 42}], Sabota [Plin^{NH vi. § 155, xii. 63}], old commercial city of South Arabia, by Tu Ku, but this = Sabean שבות (not ׳ס) Levy-Os^{ZMG xix (1865), 253}; xx (1866), 273, compare Hal^{JAS 7, iv. 525}; Glaser^{Skizze ii. 252 f.} proposes Σαφθα (Ptol^{vi. 7, 30}), near west shore of Persian Gulf; ᵐ5 Σαβαθα, Σαβατα, Σεβαθα. All uncertain conjectures.

Topical Lexicon

Genealogical Placement

Sabtah appears within the Table of Nations as a direct son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and great-grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:7; 1 Chronicles 1:9). His name is recorded alongside four brothers—Seba, Havilah, Raamah, and Sabteca—forming the primary Cushite clan group. The inspired genealogies present Sabtah not merely as a personal name but as the progenitor of a distinct people, affirming the ordered dispersion of humanity after the Flood.

Occurrences in Scripture

Genesis 10:7 records, “The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.”

1 Chronicles 1:9 repeats the same listing when rehearsing post-Flood lineages. Apart from these verses, Scripture is silent regarding individual exploits, indicating that the significance of Sabtah lies in the people group that bore his name.

Geographical Identification

Ancient historians place the Cushite descendants primarily in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Early Jewish and Christian commentators associated Sabtah with southwestern Arabia, correlating the name with the classical city “Sabata” (also rendered “Sabota”) in modern Yemen. Archaeological remains at Shabwa—an important caravan hub on the incense route—fit the description, lying between Seba to the west and Raamah’s sphere farther east, thus mirroring the biblical order. Though exact certainty is elusive, the prevailing evidence locates Sabtah’s descendants in southern Arabia, contributing to the early commercial networks that trafficked spices, gold, and incense to the Mediterranean world.

Role in the Biblical Narrative

1. Marker of Ethnic Diversity: Sabtah’s mention underscores the breadth of nations springing from Noah, evidencing the rapid spread of peoples across Asia and Africa.
2. Testament to Divine Sovereignty: By naming Sabtah, Scripture stresses that even little-known tribes fall under God’s providential ordering of history (Psalm 22:27; Acts 17:26).
3. Context for Later Prophecy: Prophets who speak of Cush (for example Isaiah 11:11; Zephaniah 3:10) evoke a heritage that includes Sabtah’s line, foreshadowing the ingathering of distant peoples into the Messianic kingdom.

Theological Insights

• Unity of the Human Race: Sabtah’s placement within Noah’s family tree reaffirms that every culture descends from a common ancestor, silencing ethnic pride and promoting gospel inclusivity (Romans 10:12).
• Accountability of All Nations: Though unnamed beyond genealogies, Sabtah’s kin share the universal responsibility to seek the Lord (Psalm 86:9). Their obscurity in the narrative heightens the wonder that the Messiah’s salvation reaches even “those who were far off” (Ephesians 2:13).
• Fulfillment in Christ: Revelation 5:9 anticipates worshippers “from every tribe and language and people and nation,” implicitly embracing the offspring of Sabtah. The inclusion of such minor clans magnifies the scope of redemptive history.

Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Dignity of Overlooked Peoples: Mission strategy must honor groups that receive scant biblical attention, trusting that the Lord remembers them by name.
2. Historical Anchoring: Engaging with Sabtah reminds believers that evangelism enters real cultures with deep roots; understanding ancestral narratives can open doors for gospel dialogue.
3. Encouragement for Faithful Record-Keeping: The Spirit’s preservation of genealogies teaches modern churches to value accurate records, celebrating God’s faithfulness across generations.

Summary

Sabtah stands as an understated yet meaningful thread in the tapestry of Scripture. Through two brief references, the Bible situates a Cushite clan in southern Arabia, attests to God’s global purposes, and anticipates the eventual gathering of all peoples under Christ’s lordship.

Forms and Transliterations

וְסַבְתָּ֥א וְסַבְתָּ֥ה וסבתא וסבתה vesavTa vesavTah wə·saḇ·tā wə·saḇ·tāh wəsaḇtā wəsaḇtāh

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 10:7
HEB: סְבָא֙ וַֽחֲוִילָ֔ה וְסַבְתָּ֥ה וְרַעְמָ֖ה וְסַבְתְּכָ֑א
NAS: and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah
KJV: and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah,
INT: Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca

1 Chronicles 1:9
HEB: סְבָא֙ וַחֲוִילָ֔ה וְסַבְתָּ֥א וְרַעְמָ֖א וְסַבְתְּכָ֑א
NAS: Havilah, Sabta, Raama
KJV: and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah,
INT: Seba Havilah Sabta Raama and Sabteca

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5454
2 Occurrences

wə·saḇ·tā — 1 Occ.
wə·saḇ·tāh — 1 Occ.