Who is…
Dedan

Hebrew: דְּדָן‎ —transliteration: Dedan or Dedaneh

This is the name of 2 biblical men and a land.

Descendants of Dedan are called Dedanites (Isaiah 21:13) or Dedanim.

  1. Dedan, a son of Raamah (Raama)

    He is a Hamite—a descendant of Noah’s son Ham, through Cush (Genesis 10; 1 Chronicles 1).

    His brother was named Sheba.

    Dedan’s descendants are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13, and Ezek. 27:15. They were trading partners of the city of Tyre.

    They probably settled among the sons of Cush, on the northwest coast of the Persian Gulf (aka Arabian Gulf) and their descendants are likely among the Arabs of today.

    Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)—satellite view

    Relatives

  2. The land of Dedan

    Caravans came to Israel from Dedan (Isa. 21:13).

    Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.” —Ezekiel 27:20 NASB

    The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment.” —Ezekiel 27:15 NASB

    This land is also mentioned in biblical prophecies.

    “The oracle about Arabia. In the thickets of Arabia you must spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites.” —Isaiah 21:13 NASB

    Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’”
    —Ezekiel 38:13 NASB

    “Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths,
    O inhabitants of Dedan,
    For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him
    At the time I punish him.”
    —Jeremiah 49:8 NASB

    “…thus says the Lord God, “I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword.” —Ezekiel 25:13 NASB

  3. Dedan, a son of Jokshan

    Dedan is a descendant Noah’s son, Shem, and therefore a Shemite (Semite).

    His father Jokshan is a son of Abraham by Keturah (1 Chronicles 1:32).

    Dedan’s descendants are the Leummim, the Letushim and the Asshurim (the later is not referring to Shem’s son Asshur) (Genesis 25:3).

    His descendants settled on the Syrian borders about the territory of Edom. They probably led a pastoral life.

    Relatives

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Article Version: March 12, 2019