Uz

Uz is the name of three persons in the Old Testament, each representing distinct lineages. (1) The son of Aram and grandson of Shem (Gen. 10:23; 1 Chr. 1:17), an ancestor of the Aramean peoples — the eponymous founder of a Semitic tribe. (2) One of the Horite chieftains ("dukes") in the land of Edom, a son of Dishan (Gen. 36:28). (3) A son of Nahor by his concubine Reumah (Gen. 22:21), a nephew of Abraham and ancestor of another Aramean group.

The name Uz also designates the land where Job lived (Job 1:1), which was probably named after one of these eponymous ancestors — most likely the Aramean Uz, placing the land east or southeast of Palestine in or near the territory of Edom and northern Arabia (see Lam. 4:21; Jer. 25:20). The diverse genealogical uses of the name illustrate the ancient practice of naming regions after ancestral founders.