{
  "id": "dict_003096",
  "term": "Kemuel",
  "slug": "kemuel",
  "letter": "K",
  "entry_type": "biblical_proper_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Kemuel is a biblical personal name borne by more than one man in the Old Testament, including a descendant of Nahor and an Ephraimite leader.",
  "simple_one_line": "Kemuel is an Old Testament name used for more than one person.",
  "tooltip_text": "A biblical proper name shared by more than one Old Testament figure.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Abraham",
    "Nahor",
    "Genesis",
    "Numbers",
    "Genealogy"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Biblical names",
    "Genealogies",
    "Proper names in Scripture"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Kemuel is a Hebrew personal name found in more than one Old Testament context. The name identifies different individuals, so the surrounding passage must determine which Kemuel is meant.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Old Testament personal name",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Not a theological concept or doctrine",
    "Refers to more than one biblical individual",
    "Context determines which Kemuel is in view"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Kemuel is an Old Testament personal name borne by more than one individual. In Genesis 22:21, Kemuel appears among the relatives of Abraham as a son of Nahor, and in Numbers 34:24 the name is borne by a leader associated with Ephraim. The name itself carries no independent doctrinal meaning and must be identified by context.",
  "description_academic_full": "Kemuel is a biblical proper name rather than a theological term. The Old Testament uses the name for more than one person, including Kemuel the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, in Genesis 22:21, and Kemuel the son of Shiphtan, a leader associated with Ephraim in Numbers 34:24. Because the name is shared by multiple individuals, any reference to Kemuel should be read in its immediate literary and historical context. The name itself does not carry a distinct doctrinal teaching, but it is useful for tracing family lines, tribal leadership, and the Bible’s careful preservation of names within its historical records.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Biblical names often recur across different genealogies and tribal lists. Kemuel appears in both patriarchal and wilderness-era settings, showing that the same name can identify different people in different periods of Israel’s history.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near East, names were frequently reused within families and clans. Biblical records preserve these names to identify ancestry, tribal structure, and leadership roles.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In Jewish reading, genealogies and name lists are not incidental; they help locate people within covenant history. Kemuel is best understood as one of the many personal names that function primarily as historical identifiers.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 22:21",
    "Numbers 34:24"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Chronicles 27:17"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: קְמוּאֵל (Qəmûʼēl), a personal name whose meaning is commonly taken as something like 'God has established' or 'appointed by God,' though the meaning is secondary to its use as a name.",
  "theological_significance": "Kemuel has no major doctrinal significance in itself. Its value is historical and textual: it helps identify people in Israel’s genealogies and tribal records.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This is an example of a proper name whose meaning is limited to identification. The same spelling can refer to more than one person, so the interpreter must use context rather than word meaning alone.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse one Kemuel with another. Proper names in Scripture often recur, and the name itself should not be treated as a doctrine or symbol unless the passage clearly does so.",
  "major_views_note": "No major interpretive dispute is attached to the name itself; the main issue is identifying which individual is meant in a given passage.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Kemuel does not establish doctrine. Any theological conclusion must come from the surrounding passage, not from the name itself.",
  "practical_significance": "Kemuel is a reminder that careful Bible reading pays attention to context, genealogy, and historical setting. Small details in Scripture often serve the larger purpose of preserving covenant history.",
  "meta_description": "Kemuel is a biblical Old Testament name borne by more than one person, including a descendant of Nahor and a leader associated with Ephraim.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/kemuel/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/kemuel.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}