Bible Dictionary
Alian
Alian was a descendant of Esau through Shobal. He is called Alvan in Genesis, and is distinct from Aliah.
Definition
Alian was a descendant of Esau and son of Shobal. He is called Alvan in Genesis and appears in a different genealogical form in Chronicles.
Biblical Usage
Alian occurs in the genealogy of the descendants of Esau and is distinguished from Aliah because the surrounding groups and contexts differ.
Historical Background
The change from Alvan to Alian involves a variation in the third consonant of the name, a form of change found in Hebrew names.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Alvan]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a-li'-an (`alyan): A descendant of Esau, and son of Shobal (1Ch 1:40). In the corresponding earlier genealogy (Ge 36:23) the same person is given as Alvan (`alwan), the change of the third consonant being a simple one, common to Hebrew, occurring similarly in Aliah (which see). Alian is not to be identified with Aliah, since the groups of names in which these occur are quite different, and the context in each case is not the same.</p>