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Bible Encyclopedias
Hobab
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. Chobab', חֹבָב , beloved; Sept. Ο᾿βάβ, in Judges Ι᾿ωβάβ), the son of Raguel the Midianite, a kinsman of Moses (Numbers 10:29; Judges 4:11). B.C. 1657. He has usually been identified with Jethro (see Exodus 18:5; Exodus 18:27, compared with Numbers 10:29-30); but it is rather his father Reuel to whom the title "Moses's father-in-law" is intended to apply in Numbers 10:29; for that these two latter were' names of the same person, and that the father of Moses's wife, seems clear from Exodus 2:6; Exodus 2:21; Exodus 3:1. Hence Hobab was Moses's brother-in-law (and so we must render חֹתֵן in Judges 4:11, where the Auth.Vers. has "father-in-law," being, it is true, the same applied elsewhere to Jethro, but merely signifying any male relative by marriage, and rendered even "son- in-law" in Genesis 19:14); so that while Jethro (as was natural for a person of his advanced age) returned to his home (Exodus 18:27), Moses prevailed upon Hobab (whose comparative youth rendered his services the greater object to secure) to remain (as. seems implied by the absence of any refusal to his second importunity in Numbers 10:32), so that we find his descendants among the Israelites (Judges 4:11). (See JETHRO).
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Hobab'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/h/hobab.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
