Abimael probably won’t be a name you often see in elementary school rosters. One man in the Bible goes by this name, first mentioned in Genesis 10 and then in 1 Chronicles. He doesn’t seem to have much fame—or notoriety, for that matter.
That said, if someone is ever mentioned in the Bible, they are important. It doesn’t matter if they are simply a name in a long genealogy or if they have an entire book with their name on the front. God teaches us about something through every life.
So let’s explore the man named Abimael and what he can show us about ourselves.
Abimael first receives a mention in Genesis 10:28. His name literally means “father of Mael,” so we can assume he had a son named Mael. The genealogy doesn’t tell us.
From the context of this chapter, we see that he hails from a group known as the Semites. That is, he comes from the line of Shem. If you don’t know who Shem is, he is one of the sons of Noah. Noah had three sons: Ham, Japeth, and Shem.
All people groups stemmed from these three sons after the Flood.
Shem’s seem to be the most important, at least by biblical narrative standards. Why? Because through Shem, we eventually get to a man named Abram. Soon to be known as Abraham, the father of the Israelite nation.
Through Shem’s line, God chooses to make a nation his people. God blesses the Israelites and protects them.
God eventually grafts the Gentile nations (those belonging to Ham and Japeth) into his family, but this still doesn’t distill Israel’s importance in history.
Abimael would’ve been one of the descendants of Shem.
The passage doesn’t tell us much else except that he’s the son of a man named Joktan. Joktan lived “during a time in which the earth was divided.” Nations were starting to become larger and were breaking off during the time of Joktan.
Joktan may have been the first king of what is now modern-day Yemen.
Perhaps Abimael was royalty. It seems he founded a people group known for their spices.
Abimael is only mentioned one other time—in 1 Chronicles 1:22. The passage doesn’t tell us anything new. Other than his brothers. And perhaps they have something to tell us about his family.
The brothers listed under Abimael are as follows: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.
Do we know anything about them?
Almodad: His name means “God is beloved.” He likely founded a southern Arabian tribe, though scholars debate which one.
Sheleph: His name means “drawing out.” He likely also founded a group of people, possibly one of the tribes that inhabited modern-day Yemen.
Hazarmaveth: His name means “dwelling of death.” Founder of another southern Arabic kingdom, probably the people who lived in South Arabia’s Hadhramaut region.
Jerah: His name means “the moon” or “smelling sweet.” He may have led a people group known as the “sons of the new moon,” who settled in the Eastern Chandramat region of Arabia.
Hadoram: A founder of an unnamed tribe. Later, in King David’s time, a man by the same name congratulates him on his victory over Syria. This second Hadoram was royalty.
Uzal: His name means “something spun.” Likely was a ruler over people who settled in the modern-day region of Yemen. Uzal’s people likely gave rise to the Himyarite Dynasty—which became known for their colorful architecture in their capital.
Diklah: Another ruler of a group of people who lived in Arabia. Since his name means “palm tree,” scholars suggest his tribe settled in a place with many palm trees.
Obal: Name meaning “stripped.” He was also called Ebal.
Sheba: Not to be confused with the Queen of Sheba, who later asks Solomon a number of questions (although she was likely a descendant of the man named Sheba). He was likely the head of the Sabeans, a rich group of people known for their trading, especially their gold and frankincense.
Ophir: A group of people known for their gold (the Bible mentions gold shipments from Ophir to Solomon), probably located close to Somalia.
Havilah: Often could be confused with the territory that goes by the same name in Genesis. Probably another founder of a tribe bordering Ophir and Sheba.
Jobab: The last in the lineup and probably another tribe leader.
We see a common pattern with Joktan’s sons. All of them go on to be leaders of their own people groups (confirmed in the 1 Chronicles genealogies). All become known for their specialties.
All of them, including Abimael, belong to Shem’s family—making them part of the Bible’s detailed story of Israel.
Although Shem ultimately was the great-great-etc. grandfather of Abraham, not all Shemites became Israelites.
So which of the thirteen sons ended up becoming the “father” of the father of the Israelite nation?
The answer is none of them. None of them end up being in the family of Abraham. Abraham’s father, Terah, was fathered by Nahor. Who was fathered by Serug. Who was fathered by Reu. Who was fathered by Peleg. Whose father was Eber. Whose father was Shelah. Whose father was Arphaxad. Whose father was Shem.
So since none of them end up in Abraham’s family, studying them can seem somewhat frivolous.
However, we must remember that the Bible doesn’t mention anyone without purpose. These men, including Abimael, formed great tribes of people. People who would disrupt history and who would eventually form the nations we know around us today.
It’s also important to note that three people, post-Flood, founded every nation that has ever lived.
So we can’t expect that Abimael would necessarily be directly linked to Abraham and the Israelites.
What can we learn from a Gentile king who never ends up in the line of Abraham? A man who receives two mentions in the Bible, all in genealogies that don’t even hint at his character or the people he founded.
Quite a lot.
First, we can learn that the nation he founded likely had become known for its spices. During the time of Joktan, nations began breaking off. They huddled together and specialized in their exports. Spices play a role throughout Scripture, from incense that burned in the temple to the frankincense and myrrh the wise men brought Jesus.
To this day, God has a plan for every nation. He also gives us different gifts and specialties that we can share.
Secondly, Abimael is part of a lineage that has greater importance.
Sure, he’s not directly in Abraham’s lineage. But he is part of Shem’s lineage. And Shem ultimately was an ancestor of Abraham. Abraham would’ve been steeped in lands full of different cultures, all stemming from people such as Abimael’s brothers.
Abraham was called to be set apart from these nations.
Finally, it’s important to pay attention to the earlier bits of Genesis.
Don’t get me wrong. We should consider the Bible as a whole. But the very brief cameos of names in Genesis introduce us to entire nations and people groups.
Genesis tells us our origin story—how the sons of one man formed entire cultures and ethnicities.
We can also learn from Abimael that God had a plan for the Israelites and the Gentiles. Although God did set apart the Israelites, he eventually allowed the Gentiles to be grafted into his family.
Although Abimael isn’t directly part of the Israelite lineage, the people who are part of his genealogy can now become part of God’s family.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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