Nebaioth

Biblical Record

Nebaioth was the firstborn of the twelve sons of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar (see Hagar and Ishmael). The genealogies in Genesis 25:13 and 1 Chronicles 1:29 list Nebaioth as Ishmael's firstborn, followed by Kedar. The Bible gives no separate account of his life or deeds.

Nebaioth is also mentioned in connection with his sister. According to Genesis 28:9, Esau took as his wife Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael and "the sister of Nebajoth." Genesis 36:3 lists one of Esau's wives as Bashemath, "Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth."

Significance within the Bible

In Isaiah 60:7, Nebaioth designates the tribe descended from him rather than an individual. Depicting the restoration of Zion, the verse declares that the flocks of Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth will be offered upon God's altar. The expression belongs to the broader movement of Isaiah 60, in which distant Gentile nations bring offerings to Jerusalem. The New Testament does not mention Nebaioth directly.

Interpretation and Debated Issues

• The sister's name: Nebaioth's sister, the wife of Esau, appears as Mahalath in Genesis 28:9 and as Bashemath in Genesis 36:3. Some interpreters hold that one woman was known by two names, while others hold that the name was handed down differently in the course of transmission. The question is further complicated by Genesis 26:34, which also mentions a Bashemath, "the daughter of Elon the Hittite."
• Relationship to the Nabataeans: Since Josephus, some have identified the descendants of Nebaioth with the Nabataeans, a people centered on Petra in southern Jordan. Many scholars, however, question this identification on the grounds that the Hebrew spellings differ. Others connect the name with an Arab tribal name found in ancient Assyrian records. All such connections are historical conjectures that go beyond the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Nebaioth is rarely treated as a standalone subject in sermons or Sunday school lessons. He is usually mentioned in passing when Ishmael's genealogy or Esau's marriages are explained. Because Isaiah 60 is sometimes read around Epiphany as a passage about the nations coming to the light, his name is occasionally introduced in that context.