Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
The verse names four sons of Joktan, from the line of Shem. These names later marked tribes and districts in Arabia — so why does God record men whose stories we never hear?
Who Joktan was
One writer ties the name to the shrinking of human lifespans. He also denies that "the earth was divided" in Peleg's day means only a split inside one family:
William KellyEber's second son bore the name Joktan, which means "small." That stands in contrast to Peleg, whose name means "division." Peleg's name marked an era — the more peaceful dividing of the earth after God's judgment made the scattering of mankind necessary. There is no solid reason to limit that "division" to Eber's own family… Besides, such an ordinary event cannot match the wide words used: "in his days the earth was divided." The Chaldee paraphrase on 1 Chronicles 1:19 suggests that Joktan got his name from the shortening of human life at that time. It is certain that longevity then dropped by half.
Real places, still on the map
The third name in the verse still marks a region of southern Arabia. Its meaning travelled with it:
William KellyHazarmaveth clearly answers to the district east of modern Yemen. The Arabs call it Hádramäwt, which means "court of death." It lies in southern Arabia too, on the Indian Sea. It may be unhealthy, but it is no less famous for its rich spices. One of its ports was Zafári, the Sephar we read of later in Genesis 10.
The second name in the verse left a trace of the same kind:
Morrish Bible DictionarySheleph was a son of Joktan, of the family of Shem. His descendants have been traced to Southern Arabia, where the tribe of Shelif or Shulaf has been found.
God's interest in unknown peoples
Some of these sons left far fainter traces than others. One commentator weighs what remains of them:
William KellyEnough survives to this day, even about the least noticeable of these early tribes of Arabia. It confirms the account given by Moses. It also shows the gracious interest of God in the otherwise obscure and undistinguished races of mankind.
Why Chronicles strips the list bare
Genesis maps out where Joktan's sons settled. Chronicles leaves all of that out:
H. L. RossierGenesis 10 deals with how the nations spread over the earth. Those details would serve no purpose for the aim of the book we are now considering. For the same reason this book passes over the boundaries of the Canaanites (Genesis 10:18-20) and of the sons of Joktan (Genesis 10:30-32) in complete silence.
Natural first, chosen second
The chapter follows a pattern. It names Shem ahead of his brothers, yet traces his family tree last — and it works through Joktan's branch before the line that leads to Abraham:
H. L. RossierVerse 4 mentions Shem first, although he is not the firstborn… But the genealogies of Japheth and of Ham come before his (vv. 5-16), as we also see in Genesis 10. In God's eyes Shem, chosen by grace, has the preeminence. But in the natural order what is spiritual is not first… It is the same with Abraham's offspring: "The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael" (v. 28). The verse names Isaac first, seen as first in God's thoughts. But the chapter lists Ishmael, the elder, first (v. 29) as the seed according to the flesh.
Where the whole chain is heading
These names branch off a longer line, and that line has a goal:
H. L. RossierFinally, and above all, they were indispensable in view of Messiah's kingship. His lineage must go back through the series of kings to Judah "the lawgiver." From Judah it runs back to Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Noah, Adam and God!
Readers who skip these chapters are in good company. One writer says so himself:
William KellyI have no doubt that most of us have read these genealogies and thought it was high time to skip over them… But very few people, I am sure, have a clear, definite judgment about why God has attached so much importance to them.
Summary
- Small. Joktan's name means "small." One writer links it to the era when human lifespans dropped by half.
- Traced. These names are not fillers. Sheleph and Hazarmaveth still mark peoples and places in southern Arabia, Hazarmaveth in the region called Hádramäwt.
- Noticed. Even the faintest of these tribes left a trace. That shows God's gracious interest in races the world never recorded.
- Trimmed. Chronicles leaves out the territories Genesis gives Joktan's sons. Mapping the nations is not its aim.
- Aimed. The order runs natural first, chosen second. The whole chain carries Messiah's lineage back through Judah, Abraham, Noah and Adam, to God.