Teman

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Te'man. (The South).

1. A son of Eliphaz, son of Esau, by Adah.  Genesis 36:11;  Genesis 36:15;  Genesis 36:41;  1 Chronicles 1:36;  1 Chronicles 1:53. (B.C. about 1792).

2. A country, and probably, a city, named after the Edomite phylarch, or from which the phylarch took his name. The Hebrew signifies "South", etc., see  Job 9:9;  Isaiah 43:6. And it is probable that the land of Teman was a southern portion of the land of Edom, or, in a wider sense, that of the sons of the east. Teman is mentioned in five places by the prophets, in four of which, it is connected with Edom, and in two with Dedan.  Jeremiah 49:7-8;  Ezekiel 25:13. Eusebius and Jerome mention Teman as a town, in their day, 15 miles distant from Petra, and a Roman post.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("on the right".) So south to one facing east. Son of Eliphaz, Esau's son ( Genesis 36:11); a duke of Edom. The southern part of Idumea. Habakkuk ( Habakkuk 3:3) confirms this southern position, from which as the starting point in the region of Mount Paran the Holy One's coming is northwards.  Ezekiel 25:13 translated "I will make it desolate from Teman (in the S.) ever, to Dedan (in the N.W.); they shall fall by the sword," i.e. the whole land of Edom. Famed for wisdom:  Jeremiah 49:8, "is wisdom no more in Teman?" etc.; compare  1 Kings 4:30, and for "mighty men"  Obadiah 1:8-9. Eliphaz the Temanite is mentioned as a wise man in  Job 2:11;  Job 22:1. Eusebius and Jerome mention Teman as a town 15 miles from Petra, and a Roman post.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

TEMAN . A tribe (and district) of Edom, whose importance is indicated by its eponym being the eldest son of the eldest son (Eliphaz) of Esau (  Genesis 36:11;   Genesis 36:15; cf.   Genesis 36:42 ), and by its being taken along with Bozrah (wh. see) to represent the whole land of Edom (  Amos 1:12; cf.   Obadiah 1:9 ).   Ezekiel 25:13 implies that Edom stretches from Teman to Dedan, from which we infer that the former lay in the north-east of the territory claimed by Edom, that is, to the S.E. of Moab. Its inhabitants were renowned for wisdom (  Jeremiah 49:7 ), and the chief of Job’s counsellors was Eliphaz ‘the Temanite ’ (  Job 2:11 ).

J. F. McCurdy.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A place in Southern Idumea, the land of "the sons of the east," frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. It was noted for the wisdom of its inhabitants ( Amos 1:12;  Obadiah 1:8;  Jeremiah 49:7;  Ezekiel 25:13 ). It was divided from the hills of Paran by the low plain of Arabah ( Habakkuk 3:3 ).

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Teman'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/t/teman.html. 1897.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Teman ( Tç'Man ), South Desert. A country named from the oldest son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau.  Genesis 36:11. These people were called Temani, or Temanites, and seem to have been noted for wisdom.  Jeremiah 49:7;  Obadiah 1:9. They are especially mentioned in the prediction against Edom.  Jeremiah 49:7;  Ezekiel 25:13;  Amos 1:12;  Obadiah 1:9;  Habakkuk 3:3. Their country seems to have been the southeastern part of Edom.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 36:11 Genesis 36:15 1 Chronicles 1:36 2 Jeremiah 49:7 49:20 Ezekiel 25:13 Amos 1:12 Obadiah 1:9 Habakkuk 3:3 Jeremiah 49:7 Ezekiel 25:13Tema

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

South, a city and region in Eastern Idumaea, settled by Teman the grandson of Esau,  Genesis 36:11,15,42   Amos 1:12   Habakkuk 3:3 . The men of Teman,  Genesis 36:34 , like others of the Edomites, had the reputation of great wisdom,  Jeremiah 49:7,20   Obadiah 1:21 . Compare the sayings of Eliphaz the Temanite in the book of Job.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tē´man ( תּמן , tēmān , "on the right," i.e. "south"; Θαιμάν , Thaimán ): The name of a district and town in the land of Edom, named after Teman the grandson of Esau, the son of his firstborn, Eliphaz (  Genesis 36:11;  1 Chronicles 1:36 ). A duke Teman is named among the chiefs or clans of Edom ( Genesis 36:42;  1 Chronicles 1:53 ). He does not however appear first, in the place of the firstborn. Husham of the land of the Temanites was one of the ancient kings of Edom ( Genesis 36:34;  1 Chronicles 1:45 ). From  Obadiah 1:9 we gather that Teman was in the land of Esau (Edom). In   Amos 1:12 it is named along with Bozrah, the capital of Edom. In   Ezekiel 25:13 desolation is denounced upon Edom: "From Teman even unto Dedan shall they fall by the sword." Dedan being in the South, Teman must be sought in the North Eusebius, Onomasticon knows a district in the Gebalene region called Theman, and also a town with the same name, occupied by a Roman garrison, 15 miles from Petra. Unfortunately no indication of direction is given. No trace of the name has yet been found. It may have been on the road from Elath to Bozrah.

The inhabitants of Teman seem to have been famous for their wisdom ( Jeremiah 49:7;  Obadiah 1:8 f). Eliphaz the Temanite was chief of the comforters of Job (  Job 2:11 , etc.). The manner in which the city is mentioned by the prophets, now by itself, and again as standing for Edom, shows how important it must have been in their time.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Te´man, a grandson of Esau ; also a city, region, and people on the east of Idumea sprung from him (;;;; ). Like other Arabs , the Temanites were celebrated for wisdom (;; comp.; ).