Jabal Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Jabal, the son of Lamech and Adah, was the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock (GEN 4:20)
Lineage: God › Adam › Cain › Enoch › Irad › Mehujael › Methusael › Lamech › Jabal
Names
-
en
Jabal
which glides away
-
en
Jabal
· Also called · H2989 none · GEN 4:20 which glides away
- he יָבָל yaval · H2989 · GEN 4:20
- el Ιωβελ Iobel · none · GEN 4:20
- bg Явал
Mentioned in (1)
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
Loading book references…
Conditional birth estimate · c. 3829 BC – 3224 BC
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
Family of origin
- Father: Lamech
- Mother: Adah
- Brother: Jubal
- Half-sister: Naamah
- Half-brother: Tubal-cain
Belonged to (1)
Jabal Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Jabal is mentioned in Gen 4:20 as the son of Lamech and his wife Adah. He is described as the ancestor or father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock, indicating that he was the first nomadic herdsman.
This brief description of Jabal appears in the genealogy of Cain, which traces the descendants of Adam and Eve's firstborn son. The genealogy highlights the development of various skills and occupations among Cain's descendants, including agriculture, music, and metalworking (Gen 4:17-22).
As the father of nomadic herdsmen, Jabal represents the beginning of a pastoral lifestyle, characterized by living in tents and moving with one's livestock to find suitable grazing areas. This way of life would have been distinct from the settled agricultural communities that were also developing at this time.
The mention of Jabal in this genealogy serves to demonstrate the diversity of human culture and the development of different ways of life in the early stages of human history. It also highlights the importance of livestock and the nomadic lifestyle in the ancient Near Eastern context.
Jabal Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
A stream, a descendant of Cain, and brother of Jubal; “the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle” (Gen. 4:20). This description indicates that he led a wandering life.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Jabal_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Jabal@Gen.4.20) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, jabal_673)