Bible Encyclopedias
Nobah

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

nō´ba ( נבה , nōbhāh ; Codex Vaticanus Ναβώθ , Nabṓth , Ναβαί , Nabaı́ ; Codex Alexandrinus Ναβώθ , Nabṓth , Ναβέθ , Nabéth ):

(1) Nobah the Manassite, we are told, "went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name" (Numbers 32:42 ). There can be little doubt that the ancient Kenath is represented by the modern Ḳanawāt , on the western slope of Jebel ed -Drūze , the ancient name having survived that of Nobah.

(2) A city which marked-the course of Gideon's pursuit of the Midianites (Judges 8:11 ). It is possible that this may be identical with (1). Cheyne argues in favor of this (Encyclopaedia Biblica , under the word "Gideon"). But its mention along with Jogbehah points to a more southerly location. This may have been the original home of the clan Nobah. Some would read, following the Syriac in Numbers 21:30 , "Nobah which is on the desert," instead of "Nophah which reacheth unto Medeba." No site with a name resembling this has yet been recovered. If it is to be distinguished from Kenath, then probably it will have to be sought somewhere to the Northeast of Rabbath-Ammon (‛Ammān ).

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Nobah'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​n/nobah.html. 1915.