Jobab

Biblical Record

Jobab appears only briefly, by name alone, in the list of the kings of Edom. This list records "the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel" (Genesis 36:31). The text states, "And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead" (Genesis 36:33), and "And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead" (Genesis 36:34). 1 Chronicles 1:44–45 repeats the same account.

Scripture provides only four details about Jobab: his father's name (Zerah), his place of origin (Bozrah), his predecessor, and his successor. Bozrah was a principal city of Edom and is also mentioned in Isaiah 34:6 and Amos 1:12, among other passages. Neither the length of Jobab's reign nor any of his deeds is recorded.

Others with the Same Name

Several other people in the Korean Revised Version bear the same name. They are distinct from the Edomite king discussed in this article.

• Son of Joktan: He is listed last among the thirteen sons of Joktan, a descendant of Shem (Genesis 10:29; 1 Chronicles 1:23). Some interpreters regard the name as that of an Arabian tribe rather than an individual.
• Jobab king of Madon: He was one of the kings of northern Canaan whom Jabin king of Hazor summoned to fight against Joshua (Joshua 11:1). This coalition was defeated at the waters of Merom (Joshua 11:5–8).
• Two men of the tribe of Benjamin: A son born to Shaharaim by his wife Hodesh (1 Chronicles 8:8–9) and a son of Elpaal (1 Chronicles 8:18) are each named Jobab.

Significance within the Bible

The list of Edomite kings that includes Jobab shows that Edom, the nation descended from Jacob's brother Esau, established kingship before Israel did. The kings in this list do not succeed their fathers, and each is associated with a different city of origin. For this reason, the record is sometimes read as indicating that early Edomite kingship may not have been hereditary. Jobab is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debate

At the very end of the Book of Job in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), there is an appended passage not found in the Hebrew text. This passage states that Job's original name was Jobab and presents Job as the same person as the Edomite king Jobab. The pseudepigraphal Testament of Job is also known to refer to Job as Jobab. The Hebrew Bible, however, does not connect the two figures, and most Protestant commentators therefore regard this identification as a later tradition.

Some have also speculated that Zerah of Bozrah is the same person as Zerah, the grandson of Esau mentioned in Genesis 36:13. The text, however, does not specify any relationship between the two.

In the Korean Church

Jobab is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school lessons. He is encountered mainly within the genealogies of Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1 when reading through the Bible. The New Korean Revised Version, like the Korean Revised Version, renders the name as "Yobab" (Jobab).