5745. Obal

Lexical Summary

Obal: Obal

Original Word: עוֹבָל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: `Owbal
Pronunciation: oh-BAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (o-bawl')
KJV: Obal
NASB: Obal
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. Obal, a son of Joktan

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Obal

Of foreign derivation; Obal, a son of Joktan -- Obal.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a son of Joktan, also his desc.
NASB Translation
Obal (1).

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Obal is named once in the Old Testament, within the Table of Nations: “Obal, Abimael, Sheba” (Genesis 10:28). The verse lists him as one of the thirteen sons of Joktan, a fifth-generation descendant of Shem.

Genealogical Context

1. Line of Shem: Noah → Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Joktan → Obal.
2. Peleg’s Counterpart: Joktan is the brother of Peleg (Genesis 10:25). While Peleg’s branch ultimately leads toward Abraham and the covenant line, Joktan’s branch, including Obal, underscores the breadth of Shem’s posterity beyond Israel.
3. Parallel Record: 1 Chronicles 1:22 preserves the same name, though a scribal tradition reads “Ebal.” The Chronicles text confirms the historicity of the Genesis genealogy while revealing minor orthographic variants typical of ancient transmission.

Historical and Geographical Considerations

Early Jewish and Christian writers associate Joktan’s sons with the southern Arabian Peninsula. Linguistic links between several of the brothers (Sheba, Havilah, Ophir) and well-attested Arabian locations strengthen this view. Obal likely represents a clan or region in that broader milieu. Archaeological surveys in Yemen and southwestern Arabia have identified toponyms such as “Ubal” or “Awbal,” suggesting a highland district along ancient incense-trade routes. If so, Obal’s descendants participated in the mercantile networks that later connected the Near East with Africa and India.

Theological Implications

1. Universality of the Covenant Plan. The presence of Obal in Genesis 10 highlights that God’s concern stretches beyond the singular covenant line. Every name is recorded under divine inspiration, affirming the dignity of each nation in God’s redemptive timetable (Acts 17:26).
2. Babel and Dispersion. The Joktanite genealogy appears immediately after the account of Babel (Genesis 11). Obal’s naming testifies to the ordered dispersion of peoples under God’s providence, countering the chaos of human rebellion with the structure of divinely appointed families and territories.
3. Israel and the Nations. Though Obal is not in the direct ancestry of Israel, his inclusion foreshadows prophetic promises that Shem’s scattered offspring will one day share in the blessings of Messiah (Isaiah 60:6; Revelation 7:9).

Relevance for Ministry Today

• Genealogies affirm that no culture is outside God’s saving reach. Modern mission efforts among Arabian peoples can draw encouragement from Obal’s early appearance in Scripture, acknowledging God’s ancient interest in that region.
• Teaching through Genesis 10 provides a biblical foundation for ethnic harmony in the church; Obal’s obscurity reminds believers that prominence in human records is not required for inclusion in God’s story.
• Obal’s probable trade connections challenge contemporary Christians to engage the marketplace as a sphere for gospel witness, just as God once positioned Joktan’s descendants along international trade corridors.

Connections to the Broader Canon

Obal fades from the narrative after Genesis 10, yet the New Testament’s vision of every tribe and tongue praising God (Revelation 5:9) implies that descendants of Joktan, including the line of Obal, are ultimately gathered into Christ’s kingdom. The precision with which the inspired text preserves even the least-known names strengthens confidence in the entirety of Scripture and motivates believers to proclaim the gospel “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Forms and Transliterations

עוֹבָ֥ל עובל ‘ō·w·ḇāl ‘ōwḇāl oVal

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 10:28
HEB: וְאֶת־ עוֹבָ֥ל וְאֶת־ אֲבִֽימָאֵ֖ל
NAS: and Obal and Abimael and Sheba
KJV: And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
INT: and Obal and Abimael and Sheba

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5745
1 Occurrence

‘ō·w·ḇāl — 1 Occ.