And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
The verse names Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab as sons of Joktan, standing within the genealogy descended from Noah's sons. It belongs to the class of verses that list persons rather than express promises. It is inspired Scripture no less than the twenty-third Psalm.
Its place in Scripture is necessary even when its purpose or use for spiritual instruction is not apparent. The genealogy to which it belongs was preserved by God's Spirit because accurate genealogies were necessary to the development and certainty of the gospel. As part of the Bible's account of the origin and distribution of races, such genealogical lists hold value for the study of ethnology as well as for spiritual truth.
The verse names Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab as sons of Joktan, standing within the genealogy descended from Noah's sons. It belongs to the class of verses that list persons rather than express promises. It is inspired Scripture no less than the twenty-third Psalm.
Its place in Scripture is necessary even when its purpose or use for spiritual instruction is not apparent. The genealogy to which it belongs was preserved by God's Spirit because accurate genealogies were necessary to the development and certainty of the gospel. As part of the Bible's account of the origin and distribution of races, such genealogical lists hold value for the study of ethnology as well as for spiritual truth.