Jokshan

Biblical Record

Jokshan was a son of Abraham by Keturah, whom Abraham married after the death of Sarah. Genesis 25:2 lists the sons in the order Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, making Jokshan the second. Genesis 25:3 records that Jokshan begat Sheba and Dedan, and that the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim. 1 Chronicles 1:32 likewise lists the sons of Keturah and Jokshan's two sons, Sheba and Dedan, but does not record the descendants of Dedan.

The Bible records nothing of Jokshan's own deeds. According to Genesis 25:5–6, however, Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac, but to the sons of his concubines he gave gifts and, while he yet lived, sent them away from Isaac eastward. As a son of Keturah, Jokshan is understood to have been among this group.

Significance Within the Bible

Jokshan's name appears within a genealogy showing that Abraham's descendants branched out into many peoples even outside the line of Isaac. Genesis 25 lists in turn the descendants of Keturah and those of Ishmael before turning to the story of Isaac. The New Testament does not mention Jokshan.

Interpretations and Debates

• Genesis 25:1 calls Keturah Abraham's "wife," while 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls her his "concubine." Commentators differ in how they account for this discrepancy.
• The names Sheba and Dedan also appear in Genesis 10:7 as the sons of Raamah, a descendant of Ham. For this reason, many scholars regard these names as referring to tribes or places in Arabia rather than to individuals, and views differ on how the two genealogies relate to each other.
• The Asshurim listed among the descendants of Dedan are generally regarded as an Arabian tribe distinct from the Mesopotamian empire of Assyria.

In the Korean Church

Jokshan is rarely treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school. His name comes up mainly when the genealogies of Genesis and 1 Chronicles are read in the course of reading through the Bible.