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Sabean

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(1) Descendants of Sheba, son of Joktan (Joel 3:8⁸And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Joel 3:8)). (2) Evidently the descendants of Seba, son of Cush (Isa. 45:14¹⁴Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (Isaiah 45:14)). (3) Perhaps a third tribe, though it may be one of the two just mentioned. (4) A wrong translation (Ezek. 23:42⁴²And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. (Ezekiel 23:42), “drunkards,” in margin.).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

There are four persons who have been regarded as progenitors of the Sabeans.

1. Seba, son of Cush (Gen. 10:7⁷And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. (Genesis 10:7)).

2. Sheba, grandson of Cush (Gen. 10:7⁷And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. (Genesis 10:7)).

3. Sheba, descendant of Joktan (Gen. 10:28²⁸And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, (Genesis 10:28)).

4. Sheba, son of Jokshan (Gen. 25:3³And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. (Genesis 25:3)).

The first two are descendants of Ham, and the last two descendants of Shem. For their localities see SEBA and SHEBA. Some were marauders who swept away the oxen and asses of Job (Job 1:15¹⁵And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. (Job 1:15)). In Isaiah 45:14¹⁴Thus saith the Lord, The labor of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (Isaiah 45:14) they were traveling merchants. In Joel 3:8⁸And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Joel 3:8) they are represented as a people “far off,” to whom Judah will sell their enemies. These passages may not all refer to the same people. In Ezekiel 23:4⁴And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah. (Ezekiel 23:4)2 The chethib reads “drunkards,” as in the margin of the AV and the text of the RV.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

7615 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

Shba’iy

Phonic:

sheb-aw-ee’

Meaning:

patronymic from 7614; a Shebaite or descendant of Sheba

KJV Usage:

Sabean

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

drunkards : they who come: go about (busybodies?) (Joel 3:8) : he who is coming (Job 1:15)