Bible Dictionaries
Peleg

Holman Bible Dictionary

(pee' lehg) Personal name meaning, “division” or “watercourse.” Descendant of Shem (Genesis 10:25 ), ancestor of Abraham (Genesis 11:16-19; 1Chronicles 1:19,1 Chronicles 1:25 ) and Jesus (Luke 3:35 ). Peleg's name is attributed to one of the many firsts recorded in Genesis, the “division” of the earth or land. Tradition associates this division with the confusing of languages and the consequent scattering of peoples from Babel (Genesis 11:8-9 ). Noting that peleg often refers to a streams of water ( Job 29:6; Psalm 1:3; Psalm 46:4; Psalm 119:136; Proverbs 5:16; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 32:2 ), some suggest that the “division” of the land refers to irrigation ditches crisscrossing the landscape. According to this interpretation, Peleg's name commemorates the beginnings of organized agriculture. Though Peleg's descendants are only traced through Abraham, Peleg is recognized as the ancestor of all the Semitic peoples of Mesopotamia, while his brother Joktan was ancestor of the Arabian Semites. See Table of Nations .