Jokshan

Jokshan is a son of Abraham by Keturah, the wife Abraham takes after Sarah's death. He appears only in genealogical lists, where his name is fixed in the second slot among Keturah's six sons and his own line is traced two generations forward.

Son of Abraham by Keturah

The opening genealogy in Genesis names the six sons Keturah bears to Abraham: "And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah" (Gen 25:2). Jokshan's own line follows immediately: "And Jokshan begot Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim" (Gen 25:3). The Chronicler's recapitulation gathers the same material into a single verse, identifying Keturah as Abraham's concubine and pairing Jokshan again with his two sons: "And the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan: Sheba, and Dedan" (1Ch 1:32).

Sent East, Away from Isaac

Jokshan's role in the larger Abraham narrative is structural rather than personal. The inheritance passes intact to Isaac: "And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac" (Gen 25:5). The sons of the concubines — Jokshan among them — receive gifts and are dismissed from the land of promise: "But to the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts. And he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country" (Gen 25:6). Jokshan thus belongs to the eastward branch of Abraham's house, kept separate from the covenant line that runs through Isaac.