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Ishbak

biblical_person theological_term standard

A son of Abraham by Keturah, listed in the patriarch’s genealogy.

At a Glance

Biblical person: one of Abraham’s sons by Keturah.

Key Points

Description

Ishbak is identified in Genesis 25:1–2 as one of the sons Abraham had through Keturah after Sarah’s death, and he is listed again in 1 Chronicles 1:32. The biblical record does not preserve a separate story, office, or theological role for him; his significance is genealogical rather than doctrinal. He belongs to the record of Abraham’s broader descendants, which highlights both the breadth of Abraham’s family and the narrowing of the covenant line through Isaac.

Biblical Context

Genesis places Ishbak among the sons born to Abraham and Keturah after the death of Sarah. Chronicles later repeats the genealogy, confirming the name within Israel’s remembered ancestral record.

Historical Context

Ishbak belongs to the patriarchal period as preserved in Israel’s ancestral genealogies. Outside the biblical genealogical notices, no reliable historical detail is given about him.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In ancient Jewish genealogical writing, the preservation of names such as Ishbak helped trace family lines and remember Israel’s wider patriarchal connections, even when no narrative was attached to the person.

Primary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew personal name, commonly transliterated Yishbaq (יִשְׁבָּק).

Theological Significance

Ishbak’s significance is mainly genealogical. His inclusion in Abraham’s line underscores Scripture’s care in recording the patriarch’s wider family while preserving the distinct covenant line through Isaac.

Philosophical Explanation

This entry illustrates how biblical history often treats persons with great brevity: a name may matter for the integrity of the record even when no extended narrative is supplied.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not read special symbolism or doctrinal weight into Ishbak beyond what Scripture states. The Bible gives his name, family connection, and place in the genealogy, but no independent story.

Major Views

There is little interpretive variation. Ishbak is simply recognized as one of Abraham’s sons by Keturah.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should remain within biblical-historical description. It should not be turned into a doctrinal or allegorical category.

Practical Significance

Ishbak reminds readers that Scripture preserves even brief genealogical details and that God’s covenant history unfolds through real families and named individuals.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Ishbak

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