Shobal
שׁוֹבָל/SHOH-bal/
“Flowing; overflowing; or a shoot”
Summary
The name of two or three men in the Old Testament: a Horite chief from Edom, and a descendant of Caleb who founded Kiriath-jearim.
☩Horite Chief
The first Shobal was the second son of Seir the Horite, one of the aboriginal inhabitants of Edom. He was the father of five sons and became one of the tribal 'dukes' or chieftains of the Horites.
Key verses:Genesis 36:20-291 Chronicles 1:38-40
☩Founder of Kiriath-jearim
The second Shobal was a descendant of Caleb through Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He is described as the 'father' (founder or chief) of Kiriath-jearim. He appears in the genealogies as father of Reaiah and may be identical with the Shobal mentioned among the 'sons' of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:1-2.
Key verses:1 Chronicles 2:50-521 Chronicles 4:1-2
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shobal," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Shobal," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).