Havilah
“Uncertain; possibly "sandy" or "circular"”
Summary
Havilah designates both a land encompassed by the river Pishon, famous for gold, bdellium, and onyx, and the name of two descendants of Noah—one from Cush and one from Joktan—as well as a region associated with the Ishmaelites.
☩The Land of Eden
In Genesis 2, Havilah is described as a land encompassed by the river Pishon, one of the four rivers flowing from Eden. It was distinguished by excellent gold, bdellium (a precious resin or gem), and the shoham stone (possibly onyx). Many locations have been proposed—India, Colchis, Arabia, and others—but its precise identification remains uncertain and debated.
☩Descendants of Noah
Two men named Havilah appear in the Table of Nations: a son of Cush (Ham's son) and a son of Joktan (Shem's descendant). These may represent two distinct peoples or regions that bore this name, possibly indicating that the geographic name derived from separate ancestral sources. The Cushite Havilah likely settled in Arabian or African regions, while Joktan's descendants are associated with southern Arabia.
☩Region Near Amalek
Another Havilah appears as a geographic marker describing where the Ishmaelites dwelt, "from Havilah unto Shur," and where Saul smote the Amalekites. This Havilah appears to be in the Arabian peninsula near the eastern border of Egypt, perhaps on the western edge of the great desert.
Related Verses7 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Havilah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IV (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Havilah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Havilah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Havilah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).