The Ancestor of a Significant Nation
The early chapters of Genesis meticulously trace the descendants of Abraham, establishing the historical and familial relationships between the covenant people and the surrounding nations. Buz is a figure from Abraham’s extended family whose progeny formed a recognizable group that is mentioned later in the prophetic books.
The Origin of Buz in the Family of Abraham
Buz is the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, and his wife, Milcah. This makes him a nephew of the patriarch Abraham and a contemporary of Isaac. He is listed among the eight sons born to Nahor by Milcah:
“And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” (Genesis 22:20–22, KJV)
Buz’s position as the second-born son places him firmly in the immediate family circle of the early covenant history.
The Nation Descended from Buz
Buz’s greatest significance lies not in a personal act, but in the people who descended from him, known as the Buzites.
The land settled by the Buzites became a recognized geographical region in the ancient Near East, which is later mentioned in the prophetic books:
“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt… And all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines… Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon… Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,” (Jeremiah 25:15–23, KJV)
In this passage, the Prophet Jeremiah groups Buz alongside other identifiable nations like Edom and Moab, signifying that by the 6th century B.C., the descendants of Nahor’s son, Buz, were a distinct nation or tribal group dwelling in the Arabian desert, likely to the east or northeast of Canaan.
The Meaning and Context of the Name
The name Buz ($\text{בּוּז}$, Bûz) is interpreted to mean “Contempt” or “Scorn.”
While this meaning is stark, it does not necessarily reflect the character of the man himself, but more likely the cultural context of the name. Regardless, his name is preserved to document the relationship between Abraham’s immediate family and the wider world.
In a different context, a man named Buz is also listed as the father of Jahdo, a chief man of the tribe of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:14, KJV), demonstrating that the name persisted within the Israelite lineage as well.
Buz’s primary legacy, however, is as the ancestor of the Buzites, a people who were originally related to the children of the covenant. Their eventual inclusion in the list of nations facing God’s judgment in Jeremiah’s prophecy serves as a constant reminder that covenant proximity does not guarantee salvation; only true obedience and faith can secure God’s blessing.