THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

a-li'-an (`alyan): A descendant of Esau, and son of Shobal (1Ch 1:40). In the corresponding earlier genealogy (Ge 36:23) the same person is given as Alvan (`alwan), the change of the third consonant being a simple one, common to Hebrew, occurring similarly in Aliah (which see). Alian is not to be identified with Aliah, since the groups of names in which these occur are quite different, and the context in each case is not the same.