Reuel

REUEL roo'-el (re`u'el, "God is his friend"; the Septuagint Rhagouel):

(1) In the genealogical system Reuel is both a son of Esau by Basemath (Genesis 36:4,10,13,17; 1 Chronicles 1:35,37) and the father of the father-in-law of Moses, Hobab (Numbers 10:29). In the account of the marriage of Zipporah to Moses (Exodus 2:16-21) Jethro seems to be called Reuel (compare HOBAB). The various names of Jethro perplexed the Talmudists, too; some held that his real name was "Hobab," and that Reuel was his father. Reuel is probably a clan name (Gray, "Nu," ICC), and Hobab is a member of the clan ("son") of Reuel (Numbers 10:29, the King James Version reads "Raguel").

(2) The father of Eliasaph, the prince of Gad (Numbers 2:14), called (by some copyist's mistake) "Deuel" in Numbers 1:14; 7:42,47; 10:20. The Septuagint has uniformly Rhagouel.

(3) A Benjamite (1 Chronicles 9:8).

Horace J. Wolf

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Bibliography Information

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'REUEL'".  "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia".  1915.