1657. He has usually been identified with Jethro (see Exod. xviii, 5, 27, compared with Numb, x, 29, 30) ; but it is rather his father Keuel to whom the title " Moses's father-in-law" is intended to apply in Numb, x, 29; for that these two latter were names of the same person, and that the father of Moses's wife, seems clear from Exod. ii, 6, 21 ; iii, 1. Hence Hobab was Moses's broth- er-in-law (and so we must render ''PH in Judg. iv, 11, where the Auth. Vers, has "father-in-law," being, it is true, the same applied elsewhere to Jethro, but merely signifying any male relative by marriaye, and rendered even " son-in-law" in Gen. xix, 14) ; so that while Jeth- ro (as was natural for a person of his advanced age) re- turned to his home (Exod. xviii, 27), !Moses prevailed upon Hobab (whose comparative youth rendered his services the greater object to secure) to remain (as seems implied by the absence of any refusal to Ids sec- ond importunity in Numb, x, 32), so that we find liis descendants among the Israelites (Judg, iv, U). See Jethro.
Ho'bah (Heb. Chobah', MSill, Mdiny-place; Sept. Xo[3d). a place to the northward of Damascus (?X13"»B73 pb^'ip, lit. on the left), whither Abraham pursued the kings who had taken Lot captive (Gen. xiv, 15) ; per- haps the Chobai or Choba mentioned in the Apocrypha {XiiJl3at, Judith xv, 4; XojfSa, iv, 4). Eusebius {Ono- masf. s. V. Choba) confounds this place with Cocuba, the seat of the Ebionites in the 4th century ; and Burck- hardt (Syria, p. 312) found a village called Kokab, prob- ably the same, which, however, lies south of Damascus. This is apparently also the village Iloba, visited in the year 1666 by Ferd. von Troilo, who says, '• It lies a quar- ter of a (German) mile north from the town, on the left hand. Near the city of Damascus is seen a large hill, where the patriarch Abraham overtook and defeated the army of the four kings. There formerly dwelt here a sect of Jev.-s, converted to the (Christian) faith, who were called Ebionites ; but at present the place is in- habited by a great number of Moors (Arabs) who have a mosque. In the neighborhood is a cave, in which the patriarch offered to the Divine Majesty his thanksgiv- ings for the victory" (Travels, p. 584). On the other hand, Reland thinks of a castle called Ccnicab, mention- ed by Edrisi as being on the lake of Tiberias (Pakest. p. 727). " Josephus mentions a tradition concerning Abra- ham wliich he takes from Nicolaus of Damascus: 'Abra- ham reigned at Damascus, being a foreigner . . . and his name is still famous in the country; and there is shown a village called from him The Habitation of Abraham'' (Ant. i, 7, 2). It is remarkable that in the village of Burzeh, three miles north of Damascus, there is a icely held in high veneration by the IMohammedans, and called after the name of the patriarch, Masjad Ibrahim, ' the prayer-place of Abraham.' The tradition attached to it is that here Abraham offered thanks to God after the total discomfiture of the Eastern kings. Behind the tvely is a cleft in the rock, in which another tradition represents the patriarch as takiny reftye on one occasion from the giant Nimrod. It is remarkable that the word Ilobah signifies 'a hiding-place.' (See Ritter, Syria, iv, 312; Wilson, Lands of Bible, ii, 331.) The Jews of Damascus affirm that the village of Jobar, not far from Burzeh, is the Hobah of Scripture. Tliey have a synagogue there dedicated to Elijah, to which they make frequent pilgrimages (see I'orter, Handbook for Syria and Pidrslii/c, p. 491, 492; Stanley, Jewish Church, i. 4.S1)."— Smith.
Hobart, John Henry, D.D., Protestant Episco- pal bishop of New York, was born Sept. 14, 1775. In 1788 he entered the College of Philadelphia, but soon after went to Princeton, where he passed A.B. in 1793 with high honor. In 1798 he took charge of two sub- urban churches near Philadelphia. The two following years he was called to New Brunswick, next to Hemp- stead, Long Island, and later became assistant minister of Trinity, New York. In 1799 he was chosen secre-
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tary to the House of Bishops, and subsequently to the Convention, and one of the deputies to the General Convontion in 1«01. In 180() lie was made D.D. by Union College, and in 1811 he was elected assistant bish()]> of New York. Afterwards he became diocesan of New York, and rector of Trinity Church. He was es- pecially instrumental in the establishment of the Gen- eral Theological Seminary, in which he held the chair of pastoral theology and jyulpit eloquence. In 1823, his health becoming enfeebled, a voyage to Europe was deemed desirable, and he remained there above two years. He preached in Rome when Protestant worship was barely tolerated, and made an effective appeal in behalf of the Waldenses. In his journey through the Italian States he encountered much annoyance, and when at Milan was examined before the civil magis- trates as to the object of his tour. He defended him- self with a freedom and franliuess that left little doubt of his honesty. When in London he published two vol- umes of Discourses preached in A merica, which drew forth warm expressions of approbation from the lead- ing periodicals. On his return, he resumed liis vari- ous duties with zeal and energy, devoting himself to the promotion of every good work, and feeling a special interest in the cause of the Indians. He died at Au- burn Sept. 10, 1830. His publications include A Com- panion to the Altar (N. York, 1804, 8vo; many editions' since) •—Festivals ami Fasts (N. York, 1804, 12mo ; over twenty editions) -.—Apohx/y for Apostolic Order (N. Y'. 1807, 8vo ; 1844, 8vo) -.—fhe State of departed Spirits (new ed. N. York, 184(5, 12mo) :— Clergyman's Companion (new ed. 1855, 12mo) : — Christian's Manual (r2mo ; sev- eral editions) ; besides numerous chai-ges and occasional discourses (reprinted. New Y'ork, 2 vols. 8vo). His Pos- thumous Works, vith a Memoir by the Rev. Dr. Berrian, ■were issued in 1833 (N. Y. 3 vols. 8vo). Sec Schroeder, M'liioir if lip. llohart (N, Y. 1833, 12nio); :d-Vickar, Earlij anil professional Years ofllobart (X. York. 1836, 12mo) ; Christian Spectator, ix, 79 ; Allibone, iJictiunary of A uthors, i, 854 ; Sprague, A muds, v, 440 ; Christian Journal, vol. xiv; Episcopal Church Reg. A line trib- ute is paid to bishop Hobart as an author by Lowndes in his British Litercdure, p. 656, 833.