אוּזָל
𐤀𐤅𐤆𐤋
Uzal
H187 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating a descendant of Joktan, listed as a son and associated with a group of early Arabian tribes. In biblical genealogical texts, denotes either the individual ancestor 'Uzal' or, by extension, the group or settlement traced to him. The specific identity and location associated with 'Uzal' are inferred rather than explicit in the text.
Semantic Range
proper name of a son of Joktan, eponym for a people or region in southern Arabia, possible ancient place name
Root / Etymology
Uncertain etymology; the root is unclear and not directly paralleled by an identifiable Hebrew verbal or nominal root. There have been proposals linking it to South Arabian place names or tribal traditions, but no consensus exists. Some suggest a connection to ancient Sabaean or other Arabian toponyms, but the formation does not match a known Hebrew root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אוּזָל (Uzal) appears in Genesis 10:27 and 1 Chronicles 1:21 as a son of Joktan. These genealogies associate him with a grouping of peoples located in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Ancient extrabiblical sources (such as Arabian inscriptions and classical geographers) have linked Uzal to the city later known as Sana'a in present-day Yemen, but this identification is not universally accepted and is based on later traditions. The biblical context primarily preserves an ethnological or geographical classification, without further narrative development. Modern translations render as 'Uzal,' though older ones have sometimes transliterated differently or conflated with later place names. The term is not used for a Judean, Israelite, or any other biblical religious identity—its reference is genealogical and geographical only.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; Uzal, a son of Joktan; Uzal.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אוזל (?) (ʾ-w-z-l (uncertain)) — uncertain; proper name; eponymic ancestor; possible place name
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H187-02 |
אוּזָ֖ל | uzal | HNp |
Uzal | Uzal | 2 |
H187-01 |
מְ/אוּזָּ֔ל | meuzal | HR/Np |
from Uzal | from Uzal | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H187-02 |
Genesis 10:27 | אוּזָ֖ל | uzal | HNp |
Uzal | Uzal |
H187-01 |
Ezekiel 27:19 | מְ/אוּזָּ֔ל | meuzal | HR/Np |
from Uzal | from Uzal |
H187-02 |
1 Chronicles 1:21 | אוּזָ֖ל | uzal | HNp |
Uzal | Uzal |