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The Tribe of Tema |
Tema is the ninth son of Ishmael, and is also the name of the region settled by him. Ishmael was the first son of Abraham and Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah (Sarai) could not bare Abraham (Abram) any children. Sarah told her husband to obtain children by her handmaid Hagar. Sarah and Abraham dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. Sarah gave Hagar, her Egyptian maid, to her husband Abraham to be his wife. Hagar conceived and saw she was despised in the eyes of her mistress. Sarah told Abraham that her wrong would be upon him. She gave her maid to him and when she conceived Sarah was despised in her eyes. Sarah said the LORD judges between me and you. Abraham reminded Sarah her maid was in her hand to do as she pleases. Sarah dealt hardly with her. Hagar fled from her face. The angel of the LORD found Hagar by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Hagar told the angel of the LORD she fled from the face of her mistress Sarah. The angel of the LORD told Hagar to return to her mistress, and submit herself under her hand. The angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. Hagar was told she would bear a son and shall call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. Hagar did as she was told by the angel of the LORD. Ishmael would be a wild man. His hand would be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. He shall dwell in the presence of all his brothers. (Genesis 16:1-12). The two sons of Abraham were Isaac whose mother was Sarah, and Ishmael whose mother was Hagar the handmaid to Sarah. These are their generations of Ishmael; the firstborn was Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. (1 Chronicles 1:28-31). Tema is associated with Sheba, the nation of southern Arabia. Job mourns at his fall from grace, and comments that the troops of Tema and the armies of Sheba had hoped for plunder, but now Job had nothing. (Job 6:19-20). Tema is in the utmost corners that dwell in the desert. (Jeremiah 25:23-24). Tema is included in the prophecy against Arabia. Arabia is the people inhabiting the country east and south of Canaan, the nomadic desert Bedouins. In the forest in Arabia shall you lodge, you traveling companies of Dedanim (The descendants of Dedan, the son of Raamah. They are mentioned as sending out traveling companies which lodged in the forest of Arabia. They are named also by Ezekiel 27:20 as among the merchants who supplied Tyre with precious things). The inhabitant of the land of Tema brought water to those that were thirsty; they anticipated and brought their bread to those that fled. They fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. The Lord said, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: and the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel has spoken it. (Isaiah 21:13-17). Tema was situated at the intersection of two important caravan routes-one from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aqaba and the other from Damascus to Medina and Mecca-about midway between Babylon and Egypt. The site is probably present-day Teima. |
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