Bible Dictionaries
Dedan

Holman Bible Dictionary

(dee' dan) Personal and place name of unknown meaning. 1. The original ancestor of an Arabian tribe listed in the table of nations as a son of Cush (Genesis 10:27 ). See Genesis 25:3 ). Here as in Genesis 10:27 , Dedan's brother is Sheba. Three otherwise unknown Arabian tribes descended from Dedan, according to Genesis 25:3 . 3 . The Arabian tribe centered at al-Alula, 70 miles southwest of Tema and 400 miles from Jerusalem. It was a station on the caravan road between Tema and Medina. Jeremiah pronounced judgment against the Arabian tribes (Jeremiah 25:23 ), perhaps looking to Nebuchadnezzar's raid in Arabia in 599-598 B.C. Nabonidus, king of Babylon (556-539), left control of his kingdom to his son Belshazzar and worked in Arabia for a period, controlling Dedan among other cities. Dedan was a caravan center for incense trade (Isaiah 21:13 ). Isaiah warned the traders from Dedan to avoid the regular caravan stations and spend the night in the wilderness. Neighbors from Tema would have to meet their food needs. Jeremiah warned merchants from Dedan working or staying in Edom to flee the country because God was bringing judgment on it (Jeremiah 49:8 ). Ezekiel warned Edom that their soldiers fleeing even to Dedan would be struck down (Ezekiel 25:13 ). In judging Tyre, Ezekiel noted they, too, traded with Dedan (Ezekiel 27:15 ,Ezekiel 27:15,27:20 ). Compare Ezekiel 38:13 .