Where is Teman in the Bible?
Are you wondering where the place called Teman appears in the Bible? There are many places that refer to Teman. It’s a city and country that was mentioned in the Bible five times, including in the prophets. It’s associated with Edom and Dedan, and mentioned in five different prophetic books.
Teman
The word Teman is not just a clan name, it is also the name of an ancient biblical town. It was the eponym of an Edomite clan. In the Bible, Teman was the name of the ancient town of Arabia Petraea. This ancient biblical town had its own unique characteristics.
Several prophets refer to the Teman tribe as a part of their oracles against Edom. These oracles often mention both Teman and Dedan. For example, in Habakkuk 3:1, God sees himself marching toward Edom. Besides being a part of Edom’s history, Teman was used in ordinary OT language to mean “south.”
Mount Paran
Mount Paran is a wilderness area of Israel, located near Mount Sinai. Several early Christian writers mention this area, including Jerome and Eusebius. The wilderness area may have reached as far as the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt. In the Bible, God appeared to the Israelites on Mount Paran, a location that was then a desert.
There are numerous stories of people seeking refuge at Mount Paran. Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael to the wilderness. They dwelt there and allied themselves with the nomadic tribes.
Mentioned four times by the prophets
In the Old Testament, the number four is mentioned a lot. It’s not just a common number; it’s also a sacred number among the Hebrews. The Hebrew Bible mentions the number four frequently: in Exodus 29:40, Leviticus 23:13, Numbers 10, and Revelation 6:8.
In the book of Micah, a prophet who served during the reign of Judah, Micah’s message mixed condemnation for sin with promise of the Messiah. Micah also mentions Bethlehem, the birthplace of Messiah. Similarly, the prophet Oded mentions Judah’s kings, who worshipped idols and sacrificed children. Ahaz, who subsequently led the kingdom into exile, was punished by the Syrians, who slaughtered 120,000 Judah people and took 200,000 captive.
Location
The biblical account of Teman tells us that it was a town in the region of northern Edom. The town was named after the Edomite phylarch, Teman, and the area around Teman was fertile and well-watered. The city is associated with Edom and is mentioned five times in the prophets.
The city was near the city of Petra. According to the Bible, the people of Teman were called “Temanites.” The Temanites were descendants of Esau and Idumea. The biblical account says that they had great wisdom in this land.
Meaning
The word “teman” has a biblical origin, referring to the Edomite clan. It was also the eponym of the ancient biblical town of Arabia Petraea. The Biblical name of this clan was “Teman.” A person with this name was a member of the Edomite clan.
The word “teman” is a derivative of ymyn, which means “right” or “right side.” The adjective ymyny means “on the right” and the verb ymn means “to choose.” There is also an additional meaning for teman, which is “south.” According to the BDB Theological Dictionary, the word tymn refers to the right hand and the southern side of a mountain.
People
Teman is a Hebrew word that means “south.” The word has two meanings, the first being the southern quarter of a land. The second meaning is that of a grandson. As a result, Teman is the eldest son of Esau and Adah. He was a wise man who lived in the land of Idumaea. While the exact meaning of the word is unclear, it is likely that the name carries some positive connotations.
The name Teman is a reference to the town of Teman in Edom. The city was a sub-tribe of the Edom people and was ruled by King Husham. It is mentioned in Jeremiah 49:20, and four other prophets mention the town, mostly in the context of punishment and disaster. This place is also mentioned in Habakkuk 3:1, which contradicts God’s omnipresence.
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