Hobab חֹבָב
Moses' brother-in-law, a Midianite.
Biography
Hobab was a Midianite and the son of Reuel (also known as Jethro), who was Moses' father-in-law (Num.10.29). He is mentioned in two passages in the Bible, Num.10.29 and Jdg.4.11.
In Num.10.29, as the Israelites were preparing to depart from Mount Sinai, Moses invited Hobab to join them on their journey to the Promised Land. Moses said, "We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good to Israel." Initially, Hobab declined the invitation, preferring to return to his own land and people. However, it is implied that he eventually agreed to accompany the Israelites, as his descendants, the Kenites, are later mentioned as living among the Israelites (Jdg.4.11).
In Jdg.4.11, Hobab is described as the father-in-law of Heber the Kenite. This passage suggests that Hobab's descendants maintained a close relationship with the Israelites, even though they were not part of the original twelve tribes.
As a Midianite, Hobab would have had valuable knowledge of the wilderness through which the Israelites were traveling. His presence and guidance would have been beneficial to the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical booksNumbers 1 verse
- Numbers 10:29
"Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”"
Judges 1 verse
- Judges 4:11
"Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | חֹבָב | H2246 |
Hobab
-in-law or the brother-in-law of Moses. The direct statement of Nu 10:29 is that Hobab was "the son of Reuel" (the King James Version "Raguel"). This is probably the correct view and finds support in Ex 18:27, which tells us that some time before the departure of the Israelites from Sinai, Jethro had departed and returned to his own land. The statement of Jud 4:11 is ambiguous, and therefore does not help us out of the difficulty, but is rather itself to be interpreted in the light of the earlier statement in Nu 10:29.
Mohammedan traditions favor the view that Hobab was only another name for Jethro. But this has little weight against the statements of Scripture. However, whether father-in-law or brother-in-law to Moses, the service he rendered to the leader of the hosts of Israel was most valuable and beautiful. Hobab was an experienced sheikh of the desert whose counsel and companionship Moses desired in the unfamiliar regions through which he was to journey. His knowledge of the wilderness and of its possible dangers would enable him to be to the Israelites "instead of eyes."
The facts recorded of this man are too meager to enable us to answer all the questions that arise concerning him. A difficulty that remains unsolved is the fact that in Jud 1:16 and 4:11 he is described as a Kenite, while in Ex 3:1 and 18:1, the father-in-law of Moses is spoken of as "the priest of Midian."
Jesse L. Cotton
ho'-ba (chobhah): A place "on the left hand," i.e. to the North of "Damascus," to which Abraham pursued the defeated army of Chedorlaomer (Ge 14:15). It is probably identical with th