Original Word: סְפָר
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Cphar
Pronunciation: seh-FAR
Phonetic Spelling: (sef-awr')
KJV: Sephar
NASB: Sephar
Word Origin: [the same as H5610 (סְפָר - census)]

1. Sephar, a place in Arabia

Sephar

The same as cphar; Sephar, a place in Arabia -- Sephar.

see HEBREW cphar

Word Origin
from the same as sepher
Definition
a place in S. Arabia
NASB Translation
Sephar (1).

II. [סְפָר] proper name, of a location in South Arabia; — only with ה locative סְפָ֫רָה Genesis 10:30, ᵐ5 Σωφηρα; usually indentified with ˆafâr (, pronounced , , according to Thes), ancient city of Himyarite kings (Ptolemy Σαπφαρ μητρόπολις see Sprenger^{Aite Geogr. Arab. § 301 et pass}.), so Thes Tu^{Comm. Genesis 2, 212}, but dubious Glaser^{Skizze ii. 437}, ס = צ improbable Di^{on the passage} Lag^{BN 61}.

Geographical Setting

Sephar designates a mountainous region “in the eastern hill country” (Genesis 10:30). Most scholars locate it in the southern Arabian Peninsula, often equating it with the ancient South-Arabian city Ṣafār (classical Sapphar or Zafar) in modern Yemen, or with the Dhofar highlands of present-day Oman. Both locations lie along the incense routes that connected Arabia, Africa, and the broader Near East, making Sephar a strategic hub of early post-Flood civilization.

Biblical Context

1. Genealogical Placement
• Sephar appears exclusively in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), within the Shemite line of Joktan.
• Joktan’s descendants (Genesis 10:26-29) form a collection of names that can be traced across Arabia—Hazarmaveth (Hadramaut), Sheba, Ophir, and others—demonstrating the dispersion of peoples after Babel.

2. Territorial Delimitation
• “Their territory extended from Mesha toward Sephar, the eastern hill country” (Genesis 10:30).
• The verse frames the southern limit of Joktanite settlement, stretching from the western point Mesha (generally tied to the north-western Arabian or Sinai area) down to Sephar in the southeast.

Historical Correlations

• Epigraphic evidence: South-Arabian inscriptions from Zafar mention trade networks, urban fortifications, and religious sanctuaries dating back to the first millennium B.C. These correlate with a sophisticated society that fits the parameters of early Joktanite culture.
• Classical testimony: Pliny the Elder (Natural History 6.32) and Ptolemy (Geography 6.7.42) refer to Sapphar as a principal city of “Arabia Felix,” aligning with the perceived fertility and wealth suggested by its biblical context.
• Trade significance: Situated along the frankincense trail, Sephar contributed to an economy that supplied aromatic resins to Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean world, indirectly influencing worship practices (Exodus 30:34-38).

Theological and Ministry Insights

• God’s sovereignty over nations: By specifying remote places like Sephar, Scripture affirms that divine providence encompasses every territory and people group, fulfilling the promise that the descendants of Shem would occupy real, identifiable lands.
• Reliability of the Table of Nations: Modern geography, archaeology, and linguistics consistently corroborate Genesis 10. This lends credibility to the broader biblical narrative, encouraging confidence in Scripture’s historical precision.
• Missional trajectory: The Joktanites settled in areas later evangelized in the first centuries of the Church age. The presence of early Christian communities in Yemen and Oman testifies that the gospel eventually reached the very locales marked out in Genesis 10:30.

Lessons for Contemporary Believers

• Scripture’s detail invites study: A single toponym such as Sephar opens windows into ancient history, cultural development, and the spread of redemption’s account across the globe.
• God values every community: The inclusion of seemingly obscure peoples emphasizes that no nation is beyond God’s concern or plan (Acts 17:26-27).
• Prophetic anticipation of global worship: From Sephar to the ends of the earth, Scripture anticipates a unified chorus—“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD” (Psalm 22:27).

Related Passages and Themes

• Genesis 11:9 – The dispersion at Babel provides the backdrop for Joktanite migration.
• Isaiah 60:6 – Caravans of camels from Midian and Ephah foreshadow the gospel’s reach through Arabian trade routes.
• Matthew 2:1-12 – Wise men from “the east” illustrate the movement of worshipers from regions possibly connected to Joktanite territories.

סְפָ֖רָה ספרה sə·p̄ā·rāh seFarah səp̄ārāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts