Obal
עוֹבָל/OH-bal/
“A bare district”
Summary
Obal (also called Ebal) was a son of Joktan and head of an Arabian tribe descended from Shem.
☩Identity
Obal was a son of Joktan, one of the descendants of Shem through Eber. He is listed among the founders of Arabian tribes in the Table of Nations. In 1 Chronicles he is called Ebal, a variant spelling of the same name. Bochart identified Obal's descendants with the Avalites, a people on the coast near the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb who were known as a commercial people.
Key verses:Genesis 10:281 Chronicles 1:22