Genesis 10:26-30

10:26 Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 10:28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 10  10:29 Ophir, 11  Havilah, 12  and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to 13  Sephar in the eastern hills.

tn Heb “fathered.”

sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.

sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.

sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.

sn The name Jerah means “moon.”

sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.

sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”

sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.

sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”

10 sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.

11 sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).

12 sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.

13 tn Heb “as you go.”