Zebadiah

ZEBADIAH (zĕb'a-dī'a, Heb. zevadhyāhû, Jehovah has bestowed)

2. A Levite, one of nine sent by King Jehoshaphat to teach the law in the cities of Judah (2 Chron 17:8, זְבַדְיָ֡הוּ). There were sixteen teachers in all, five princes, nine Levites and two priests (2 Chron 17:7-9).

3. A “governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s affairs” (2 Chron 19:11 זְבַדְיָ֨הוּ), son of Ishmael, a kind of judge in civil cases whose task it was to decide disputed cases (2 Chron 19:8). See Law, Judge, COURT OF LAW.

4. A Benjaminite descended from Beriah (1 Chron 8:15 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

5. A Benjaminite descended from Elpael (1 Chron 8:17 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

6. One of two sons of Jeroham of Gedor of the tribe of Benjamin who joined David at Ziklag (q.v.) (1 Chron 12:7 זְבַדְיָ֛ה).

7. One of David’s army officers, son of Asahel and brother of Joab who had charge of one of the twelve units of his army, each responsible for a month’s military duty (1 Chron 27:7 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

8. One of those who returned from the Exile in Babylon (q.v.) to Jerusalem with Ezra (Ezra 8:8 זְבַדְיָ֖ה cf. Zaraiah in 1 Esd 8:34).

9. One of those who married foreign wives in the days of Ezra, listed among the priests (Ezra 10:20 זְבַדְיָֽה). With many others he was compelled to put away his foreign wife and her children at the time of Ezra’s reform (cf. 1 Esd 9:21 Zebadiah).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

zeb-a-di’-a

(1) zebhadhyaha,

(2) zebhadhyah, "Yah has bestowed";

form (1) is the Hebrew name in (1), (a), (b), (2), below; the form (2) in the rest. Some manuscripts have Zechariah in (1), (a), (b), (3)).

Compare ZABDI; ZABDIEL:

(1) Levites:

(a) a Korahite doorkeeper of David’s reign (1Ch 26:2);

(b) one of the Levites sent by King Jehoshaphat to teach the Torah in Judah (2Ch 17:8).

(2) Son of Ishmael (2Ch 19:11); "ruler of the house of Judah in all the king’s (Jehoshaphat’s) matters," i.e. judge in civil cases, the "controversies" of 2Ch 19:8.

(3) Benjamites, perhaps descended from Ehud (see Curtis, Chron., 158 ff):

(a) In 1Ch 8:15;

(b) in 8:17, where the name may be a dittography from 8:15.

(4) A Benjamite recruit of David at Ziklag (1Ch 12:7 (Hebrew verse 8)).

(5) One of David’s army officers, son and successor of Asahel (1Ch 27:7).

(6) One of those who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Ezra (Ezr 8:8) = "Zaraias" of 1 Esdras 8:34.

(7) One of those who had married foreign wives (Ezr 10:20) = "Zabdeus" of 1 Esdras 9:21.