Lexical Definition

‎נְבָיוֹת‎ Nᵉbâyôwth (neb-aw-yoth') Nebaioth ^N:N-M-P
or נְבָיֹת Nᵉbâyôth (neb-aw-yoth'); feminine plural from ‎נוּב‎; fruitfulnesses

Nebaioth, Nebajoth.

• § Nebaioth or Nebajoth = "heights"
• Nebajoth, a son of Ismael, and the country settled by him

1) a son of Ishmael
2) people descended from1 called the Nabateans with their capital at Petra

Extended Information

• A man of the Arabs living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.13
• son of: Ishmael (יִשְׁמָעֵאל)
• brother of: Kedar (קֵדָר), Adbeel (אַדְבְּאֵל), Mibsam (מִבְשָׂם), Mishma (מִשְׁמָע), Dumah (דּוּמָה), Massa (מַשָּׂא), Hadad (חֲדַד), Tema (תֵּימָא), Jetur (יְטוּר), Naphish (נָפִישׁ), Kedemah (קֵדְמָה) and Mahalath (מַחֲלַת)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎נְבָּיוֺת‎ proper name, of a people (Nabataean ‎נבטו‎ = Nabataean and Nabataeans, Eut^{Nab 1.4 and often}, compare ‎נבט‎ of Jewish tradition Nö^{ZMG xxiv. 1871, 124}, ‎נבט‎ ᵑ7^{Isa 60:7} (on form of name, and on ‎ט‎ = ‎ת‎ compare Lag^{BN 51 f.}); in Assyrian Nabaitai, etc., Schr^{COT Gen 25:13}; KGF 99 ff.. Dl^{Par 296 f.}); — as (eldest) son of Ishmael (brother of Kedar) Gen 25:13; Gen 28:9; Gen 36:3 (all P), 1Chr 1:29 people (|| Kedar) Isa 60:7, compare Nabataei + Cedrei Plin^{NH v. 11, 65}; ᵐ5 Ναβαιωθ; Greek Ναβαταῖοι. — See further Nö^{ZMG xxiv. 1871, 122 f.} Eut^{Nab p.78} GASm^{Geogr. 547-629 pass}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Son of Ishmael • Firstborn son of Ishmael; father of a tribe.

Arabian living at the time of the Patriarchs

Nebaioth, the firstborn son of Ishmael, was the ancestor of a tribe known for their flocks and mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy of future blessing.

• A man of the Arabs living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.13;
• only referred to as Nebaioth נְבָיוֹת;
• son of Ishmael יִשְׁמָעֵאל;
• a brother of Kedar קֵדָר, Adbeel אַדְבְּאֵל, Mibsam מִבְשָׂם, Mishma מִשְׁמָע, Dumah דּוּמָה, Massa מַשָּׂא, Hadad חֲדַד, Tema תֵּימָא, Jetur יְטוּר, Naphish נָפִישׁ, Kedemah קֵדְמָה and Mahalath מַחֲלַת.

Nebaioth was the firstborn son of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29). As a descendant of Abraham through Ishmael, Nebaioth became the ancestor of a nomadic tribe that bore his name.

The Nebaioth tribe was known for their large flocks of sheep and goats, which were highly prized for their wool and hair. In Isaiah 60:7, the prophet foretells a time of future blessing and restoration for Israel, mentioning that the flocks of Nebaioth will be gathered to Jerusalem and offered on the altar, finding acceptance with God.

Nebaioth is also mentioned in connection with Esau, the son of Isaac and the twin brother of Israel (or 'Jacob'). According to Genesis 28:9 and 36:3, Esau married Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth, in addition to his other wives. This marriage alliance may have strengthened the ties between the Edomites (descendants of Esau) and the Ishmaelite tribes.

As a nomadic tribe, the descendants of Nebaioth likely inhabited the regions of northern Arabia and the Negev desert. They were part of the larger group of Ishmaelite tribes that played a significant role in the trade and commerce of the ancient Near East.

While little is known about Nebaioth as an individual, his legacy as the ancestor of a prominent tribe reflects the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that his descendants through Ishmael would also become great nations (Genesis 17:20). The inclusion of the Nebaioth tribe in Isaiah's prophecy suggests that they will have a place in God's future plans for Israel and the nations.

All entries for Nebaioth: נְבָיוֹת

Related Profiles:

• Ishmael (father)
• Kedar (sibling)
• Adbeel (sibling)
• Mibsam (sibling)
• Mishma (sibling)
• Dumah (sibling)
• Massa (sibling)
• Hadad (sibling)
• Tema (sibling)
• Jetur (sibling)
• Naphish (sibling)
• Kedemah (sibling)
• Mahalath (sibling)