The Table of Nations
And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Genesis 10:26 · Berean Standard Bible
Joktan fathered a bunch of sons—Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, and Jerah among them. These names represent Arabian and South Arabian peoples known in the ancient world.
These are tribal names, most of which connect to peoples in Arabia. The writer is documenting how the Arabian peninsula got populated—through Joktan's descendants. This isn't random; it's mapping the known world of ancient Israel.
The genealogical record keeper
The genealogy is spreading out again, showing you how all these different peoples scattered across the earth trace back to Noah and his sons, fulfilling God's command to 'fill the earth.'
Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, and Jerah—the first four sons in a lengthy roster of Arabian tribal eponyms.
These names represent the genealogical explanation for the Arabian tribal confederations known from both biblical and extra-biblical sources. Hazarmaveth (חֲצַרְמָוֶת) is particularly significant because it corresponds to the Hadramaut region in southeastern Arabia, confirming the geographical knowledge embedded in this genealogy. Modern scholars like John Skinner noted that these names, unlike the more obscure ancestors of other nations, correspond to actual geographical features and tribal groups, suggesting this section drew on authentic Arabian tribal traditions or Sabaean records. The specificity here contrasts with the more symbolic genealogies elsewhere, indicating different source materials or greater familiarity with Arabian geography.
The Priestly compiler, likely working with Sabaean or Arabian tribal genealogical materials.
This genealogy serves two functions: it provides theological legitimacy for the existence of Arabian peoples (they too descend from Noah through Shem), and it demonstrates Israel's geographical and ethnological knowledge of neighboring peoples. For the Israelite audience, this was not abstract theology but practical information about the actual world of trade routes, tribal conflicts, and diplomatic relationships.
24Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.
25Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
26And Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
28Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
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