The name Nebaioth (also spelled Nebajoth) means "heights" or "fruitfulness." He was the firstborn son of Ishmael, Abraham's son through Hagar (Genesis 25:13). Nebaioth became the ancestor of an Arabian tribe that was known for its flocks. He is also identified as the brother of Mahalath (Basemath), who married Esau.
As the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth represents the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that Ishmael would also become a great nation (Genesis 17:20). In Isaiah 60:7, the flocks of Nebaioth are mentioned as being offered acceptably on God's altar in the eschatological future, suggesting the inclusion of Gentile peoples in God's ultimate plan of redemption. This prophetic vision anticipates the universal scope of God's kingdom.