{
  "id": "dict_005889",
  "term": "Uzal",
  "slug": "uzal",
  "letter": "U",
  "entry_type": "biblical_proper_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A biblical proper name for a descendant of Joktan in Genesis and, in Ezekiel 27:19, likely a place connected with trade.",
  "simple_one_line": "Uzal is a biblical proper name that appears in Genesis 10:27, 1 Chronicles 1:21, and Ezekiel 27:19.",
  "tooltip_text": "A proper name in Scripture, not a doctrine; the Ezekiel reference is commonly taken as a place-name with uncertain identification.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Joktan",
    "Genesis 10",
    "Ezekiel 27",
    "Tyre"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Sheba",
    "Ophir",
    "Havilah",
    "Meshech"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Uzal is a biblical proper name that appears in the genealogies of Genesis and Chronicles and in a difficult trade oracle in Ezekiel.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical proper name tied to the descendants of Joktan and possibly to a trading place mentioned by Ezekiel.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Gen 10:27",
    "1 Chr 1:21 list Uzal among Joktan's line.",
    "Ezek 27:19 appears to use Uzal as a place-name.",
    "The Ezekiel reference is uncertain, so identification should be stated cautiously."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Uzal is a biblical proper name. In Genesis 10:27 and 1 Chronicles 1:21, it appears among the descendants of Joktan. In Ezekiel 27:19, the same name is commonly understood as a place associated with trade, though the exact identification is uncertain.",
  "description_academic_full": "Uzal is not a doctrinal or theological concept but a biblical proper name. In the Table of Nations and its parallel genealogy, Uzal is listed among the descendants of Joktan (Gen. 10:27; 1 Chr. 1:21). In Ezekiel 27:19, many interpreters understand Uzal as a place-name tied to Tyre’s commerce, but the verse is not entirely free from interpretive uncertainty. The safest treatment is to regard Uzal as a proper name that may refer to a person or clan in Genesis and to a location in Ezekiel, without pressing beyond the evidence.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The name occurs in early biblical genealogies and in Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, which catalogs trading partners and goods from across the ancient world.",
  "background_historical_context": "The biblical references place Uzal within the world of ancient genealogies and Near Eastern trade networks. The Ezekiel passage likely reflects real commercial geography, though the precise identification of Uzal remains uncertain.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Jewish and later interpreters have often treated the Ezekiel reference as a geographic name, though the precise location cannot be established with confidence.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 10:27",
    "1 Chronicles 1:21",
    "Ezekiel 27:19"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: Uzal (אוּזָל), a proper name whose exact referent in Ezekiel 27:19 is debated.",
  "theological_significance": "Uzal has little direct doctrinal significance. Its value is chiefly historical and lexical, illustrating how biblical genealogies and prophetic texts preserve ancient names and trade references.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Uzal as a theological category or build doctrine from it. The Ezekiel 27:19 reference is uncertain and should be read cautiously.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters take Genesis 10:27 and 1 Chronicles 1:21 as a personal or clan name, while Ezekiel 27:19 is usually read as a place-name associated with trade; details are not certain.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Uzal is not a doctrine, covenant, or spiritual office. It should be treated as a proper name only.",
  "practical_significance": "This entry reminds readers that Scripture includes genealogical and geographic names that anchor the Bible in real history and geography.",
  "meta_description": "Uzal is a biblical proper name appearing in Genesis 10:27, 1 Chronicles 1:21, and possibly as a place in Ezekiel 27:19.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/uzal/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/uzal.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}