Bible Dictionary
Jabal
Jabal was a son of Lamech and Adah and brother of Jubal. He is described as the father of those who live in tents and keep herds, representing an early pastoral way of life.
Definition
Jabal was a son of Lamech and Adah and the brother of Jubal. He is described as the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle, representing the early development of a wandering pastoral life. His name is also associated in the supplied material with a stream, though its precise meaning is uncertain.
Biblical Usage
Jabal appears in the genealogy of Cain’s descendants. Scripture presents him as the ancestor or originator of those who lived in tents and kept herds.
Historical Background
The description portrays an early herding culture in which people moved with their cattle and lived in tents. The etymological suggestions for Jabal are uncertain.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
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.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(stream), the son of Lamech and Adah, (Genesis 4:20) and brother of Jubal. He is described as the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ja'-bal (yabhal, meaning uncertain): In Ge 4:20, a son of Lamech by Adah. He is called `the father of those who dwell in tents and (with) herds.' So Gunkel, Gen3, 52, who says that the corresponding word in Arabic means "the herdsman who tends the camels." Skinner, Gen, 120, says that both Jabal and Jubal suggest yobhel, which in Phoenician and Hebrew "means primarily `ram,' then `ram's horn' as a musical instrument, and finally `joyous music' (in the designation of the year of Jubilee)." See also Skinner, Gen, 103, on the supposed connection in meaning with Abel.</p><p>David Francis Roberts</p>