Who was Zabad in the Bible?

Zabad was an Israelite, the son of Zattu, who is mentioned in the book of Ezra. He was among those who had married foreign wives during the Babylonian Exile, which was a violation of God's law for the returning community (Ezra 10:27).

Why is Zabad mentioned in the book of Ezra?

Zabad is listed in Ezra 10 as one of the men who pledged to divorce his foreign wife to obey God's command and maintain the purity of the Israelite community after the Exile. This event highlights the community's struggle to remain faithful to their covenant.

What is the significance of Zabad's story?

Zabad's story, while brief, illustrates the serious challenge of assimilation and the difficult personal obedience required to rebuild a faithful nation after the Exile. It serves as a historical record of the community's corporate repentance and commitment to the Law.

Zabad

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleWife

Zabad, son of Zattu, was an Israelite who had married a foreign wife during the Exile.

Zabad

Biography

Zabad son of Zattu appears in Ezra 10:27 as one of the men from the family of Zattu who had contracted marriages with foreign women during the period of the Babylonian exile and its aftermath. When Ezra returned to Jerusalem and discovered the extent of these intermarriages, he called the community to a solemn assembly and led them in a process of covenant renewal that included the dissolution of these unions (Ezra 9-10). Zabad's name is preserved in the official register compiled under Ezra, indicating that his case was formally examined and resolved. The family of Zattu was a significant group among the returning exiles (Ezra 2:8), numbering 945 individuals, making their compliance with Ezra's reform a substantial communal act.

Significance

Zabad son of Zattu's inclusion in Ezra's reform list (Ezra 10:27) reflects the broader crisis of identity and holiness that confronted the post-exilic Jewish community. Ezra's response to the intermarriage problem drew deeply on Mosaic law and prophetic warnings about the spiritual dangers of assimilation. Zabad's case illustrates that the covenant demands of the community were taken seriously at the level of individual households, not merely in abstract theological declarations. His story challenges readers to consider the practical implications of covenant loyalty and the communal structures of accountability that can help sustain faithfulness across generations.

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezra

Ezra 10:27

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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