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עוֹבָל

𐤏𐤅𐤁𐤋

Oval

H5745 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain; potentially a personal or tribal name

Definition

Proper noun designating a personal name, Obal, listed as a descendant of Yoqtan (Joktan) in genealogical passages. The primary lexical meaning is as a personal or clan name, with no attested common noun or verb use in Biblical Hebrew. The word functions exclusively as a name within genealogical records.

Semantic Range

proper name of a person; eponym of a tribe or group in Joktanite genealogy; no common noun usage

Root / Etymology

The etymology of עוֹבָל (ʻÔwbâl) is uncertain, as indicated by its classification as 'of foreign derivation.' It does not correspond transparently to a known triliteral Hebrew root and is likely a loan or cognate from an Arabian or South Semitic linguistic background, given the context of the Joktanite genealogy.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עוֹבָל appears in Genesis 10:28 and 1 Chronicles 1:22, both times as a son of Joktan (Yoqtan), associated with peoples or tribes located in southern Arabia, outside the direct Israelite lineage. It is one of several names in these genealogies reflecting non-Israelite groups, and as such is typically rendered as 'Obal' in English translations, directly transliterating the Hebrew. The name does not acquire further significance or usage beyond the genealogical context in the Hebrew Bible. The rendering 'Obal' is not a translation but a standard transliteration, and the term has no connection to religious, ethnic, or geographic identity within the later Israelite, Judahite, or Judean frameworks. The meaning of the name itself remains opaque due to the uncertainty of its linguistic origin, and it should not be confused with other similar-sounding Hebrew words or names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain; personal or tribal designation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5745-01 עוֹבָ֥ל oval HNp Obal Obal 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5745-01 Genesis 10:28 עוֹבָ֥ל oval HNp Obal Obal
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