Overview
Shobal appears in two distinct genealogical contexts in Scripture. First, he was a son of Seir the Horite and a chief in the land of Edom (Genesis 36:20-29). Second, he was a son of Caleb and founder of a Judahite family line (1 Chronicles 2:50-52; 4:1-2). These genealogies establish the ancestral lines of both Edomite and Judahite peoples.
Key Scriptures
"These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah" (Genesis 36:20, ESV).
"And Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites" (1 Chronicles 4:2, KJV).
"Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim had sons: Hareph and half of the Manahathites" (1 Chronicles 2:50, ESV).
Application
Shobal's inclusion in biblical genealogies reminds us that Scripture honors both great and ordinary people, emphasizing that God's purposes extend through family lines and generations.