The Sabaeans, also known as the people of Sheba, are an ancient group mentioned in the Bible, primarily associated with the region of the southern Arabian Peninsula, which is modern-day Yemen. They are often linked to the Kingdom of Saba, a wealthy and influential civilization known for its trade and prosperity.

Biblical References:

1. Job 1:15 · The Sabaeans are first mentioned in the Book of Job, where they are depicted as raiders. "And the Sabaeans swooped down and took them away; they put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!" . This passage highlights their role as marauders who attacked Job's servants and livestock, contributing to his trials.

2. Isaiah 45:14 · The prophet Isaiah refers to the Sabaeans in a prophecy concerning the future glory of Israel. "This is what the LORD says: 'The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans—they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other God.’" . Here, the Sabaeans are depicted as a people of stature and wealth, whose submission to Israel signifies the recognition of God's sovereignty.

3. Ezekiel 23:42 · In a metaphorical context, the Sabaeans are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. "The sound of a carefree multitude was around her; Sabeans were brought from the desert along with men from the common rabble, who put bracelets on the wrists of the women and beautiful crowns on their heads." . This passage uses the Sabaeans to illustrate the allure and decadence that led to Israel's spiritual infidelity.

Historical and Cultural Context:

The Sabaeans were known for their advanced civilization, which thrived from around the 8th century BC to the 3rd century AD. They were renowned for their wealth, largely derived from their control of trade routes that transported valuable commodities such as frankincense and myrrh. The Sabaean society was highly organized, with a complex system of irrigation that supported agriculture in the arid region.

The Queen of Sheba, a prominent figure associated with the Sabaeans, is famously known for her visit to King Solomon, as recorded in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9. Her journey to Jerusalem, bearing gifts and seeking wisdom, underscores the Sabaeans' reputation for wealth and their interest in the wisdom and prosperity of Israel under Solomon's reign.

Religious Significance:

In the biblical narrative, the Sabaeans serve as both a literal and symbolic representation of external threats and the allure of foreign wealth and idolatry. Their interactions with Israel highlight themes of divine judgment, the futility of material wealth without spiritual fidelity, and the ultimate recognition of the one true God.

The Sabaeans' mention in prophetic literature often symbolizes the future submission of nations to God's will, reflecting the eschatological hope of a world acknowledging the sovereignty of the God of Israel.SABAEANS

sa-be'-anz (shebha'im (Joel 3:8 the King James Version), cebha'-im; Sabaeim, Sebaeim (Isaiah 45:14); read cabha'im, but rendered as though from cabha', "to imbibe," hence, "drunkards"; oinomenoi, "wine-drunken" (Ezekiel 23:42 the King James Version)):

1. Forms of the Word:

"Sabaeans" is also the translation of the name of the country itself (shebha') in Job 1:15; Job 6:19. This last, which is the root of shebha'im, is regarded by Arabists as coming from that root with the meaning of "to take captive," though seba'a, "he raided" (compare Job 1:15), has also been suggested.

2. Two Different Races:

As Sheba is said in Genesis 10:7; Genesis 10:28; and 25:3 respectively to have been

(1) a son of Raamah, the 4th son of Cush;

(2) the 10th son of Joktan, son of Eber;

(3) the 1st son of Jokshan, 2nd son of Abraham and Keturah, at least two nationalities of this name are implied. The former were identified by Josephus (Ant., II, x, 2) with the tall people of Saba in Upper Egypt, described by him as a city of Ethiopia, which Moses, when in the service of the Egyptians, besieged and captured.

3. Semitic Sabeans and Their Commerce:

It is the Semitic Sabeans, however, who are the best known, and the two genealogies attributed to them (Joktan-Eber and Jokshan-Abraham) seem to imply two settlements in the land regarded as that of their origin. As Ezekiel (27:23) mentions Haran (Hirran), Canneh (Kannah), and Eden (Aden) as being connected with Sheba, and these three places are known to have been in Southern Arabia, their Semitic parentage is undoubted. The Sabeans are described as being exporters of gold (Isaiah 60:6 Psalm 72:15), precious stones (Ezekiel 27:23), perfumes (Jeremiah 6:20; Isaiah and Ezekiel), and if the rendering "Sabaeans" for Joel 3 (4):8 be correct, the Sebaim, "a nation far off," dealt in slaves.

See SEBA; SHEBA; TABLE OF NATIONS.

T. G. Pinches

Chapter x
... temples and its trade in incense. "Raamah" seems to be a tribe of Sabaeans
in southwest Arabia. "Sabteca" represents that branch of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
... wind between Koptos and the Red Sea, and by their means placed the cities of the
Said in communication with the "Ladders of Incense," Punt and the Sabaeans.*. ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

Notes
... Tertullian (Apol. 42): "The Arabs and Sabaeans knew well that we consume more of
their precious merchandise for our dead than do the heathen for their gods.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/notes.htm

Period iii. The Dissolution of the Imperial State Church and the ...
A Source Book for Ancient Church History. <. ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iii the dissolution of.htm

Sabaeans
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SABAEANS. sa-be'-anz (shebha'im (Joel 3:8
the King James Version), cebha'-im; Sabaeim, Sebaeim (Isaiah ...
/s/sabaeans.htm - 9k

Sheba (36 Occurrences)
... Sheba, in fact, was Saba in Southern Arabia, the Sabaeans of classical geography,
who carried on the trade in spices with the other peoples of the ancient world ...
/s/sheba.htm - 32k

Trudge (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 45:14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and
the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours ...
/t/trudge.htm - 7k

Dedan (10 Occurrences)
... descended from Keturah. Evidently, they were, like the related Sheba (Sabaeans),
of mixed race (compare Genesis 10:7, 28). In Isaiah ...
/d/dedan.htm - 11k

Dedanites (1 Occurrence)
... descended from Keturah. Evidently, they were, like the related Sheba (Sabaeans),
of mixed race (compare Genesis 10:7, 28). In Isaiah ...
/d/dedanites.htm - 7k

Products (9 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 45:14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and
the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours ...
/p/products.htm - 9k

Seba (4 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 45:14 we meet with the gentilic form, (csebha'im) (Sabaeim), rendered
"Sabaeans," who are described as "men of stature" (ie tall), and were to come ...
/s/seba.htm - 10k

Sabacthani (1 Occurrence)

/s/sabacthani.htm - 6k

Sabakon

/s/sabakon.htm - 6k

Tall (41 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 45:14 The Lord says, The workmen of Egypt, and the traders of Ethiopia, and
the tall Sabaeans, will come over the sea to you, and they will be yours ...
/t/tall.htm - 19k

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