Hobab

Name occurring twice in the Bible, and borne either by Moses' father-in-law or by his brother-in-law. In the first passage (Num. x. 29),Hobab is said to have been the son of Raguel (R. V. "Reuel"), the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law (comp. Ex. ii. 18), while in Judges iv. 11 Hobab himself is called Moses' father-in-law. The Jewish commentators, as Rashi and Naḥmanides, are inclined to agree with the latter passage. They explain (Ex. ii. 18) that Raguel, who was Zipporah's grandfather, was called "father" by his grand-daughters. Ibn Ezra, however, favored the interpretation of "ḥoten Mosheh" (Judges iv. 11) as "Moses' brother-in-law." Hobab, whoever he was, seems to have been well acquainted with the desert, for Moses requested him to stay with the Israelites and serve them as their "eyes" (Num. l. c.).

E. G. H. M. Sel.