Bible Dictionary
Nebaioth
Nebaioth was Ishmael’s firstborn son and the name of the pastoral tribe descended from him. Isaiah speaks of the rams of Nebaioth as offerings brought to the Lord.
Definition
Nebaioth was Ishmael’s firstborn son and the name of the pastoral tribe descended from him. The tribe was associated with the desert and with flocks, especially rams. Nebaioth was also connected by family tradition with Mahalath, a wife of Esau.
Biblical Usage
Isaiah speaks of the rams of Nebaioth as gifts brought to God and as sacrificial offerings connected with the ideal Zion. Nebaioth is associated with Kedar in the prophetic description.
Historical Background
The tribe had a conspicuous place among the northern Arabs and appears frequently with Kedar in Assyrian inscriptions. Its identification with the Nabateans has been proposed and widely accepted by some, but the supplied material notes linguistic difficulties and does not regard the identification as certain.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Height. (1.) Ishmael’s eldest son (Gen. 25:13), and the prince of an Israelitish tribe (16). He had a sister, Mahalath, who was one of Esau’s wives (Gen. 28:9; 36:3). (2.) The name of the Ishmaelite tribe descended from the above (Gen. 25:13, 18). The “rams of Nebaioth” (Isa. 60:7) are the gifts which these wandering tribes of the desert would consecrate to God.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ne-ba'-yoth, ne-bi'-oth (nabhayoth; Septuagint Nabaioth): Firstborn of Ishmael (Ge 25:13; 28:9; 36:3; 1Ch 1:29). Isa 60:7 mentions the tribe Nebaioth with Kedar, with an allusion to its pastoral nature: "the rams of Nebaioth" are to serve the ideal Zion as sacrificial victims. Again associated with Kedar, the name occurs frequently in Assyrian inscriptions. The tribe must have had a conspicuous place among the northern Arabs. Josephus, followed by Jerome, regarded Nebaioth as identical with the Nabateans, the great trading community and ally of Rome, whose capital and stronghold was Petra. This view is widely accepted, but the name "Nabatean" is spelled with a "T" (teth), and the interchange of "T" (teth) and "t" (taw), although not unparalleled, is unusual. If the name is Arabic, it is probably a feminine plural, and in that ease could have no connection with the Nabateans.</p><p>A. S. Fulton</p>