Zaham
Zaham was one of the sons born to King Rehoboam of Judah.
Biography
Zaham was a son of King Rehoboam of Judah, born during the early years of the divided monarchy. His mother was Abihail, daughter of Eliab and granddaughter of Jesse, making Zaham a great-grandson of David through the maternal line (2 Chronicles 11:18-19). Rehoboam fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters, and Zaham is listed among the king's children, though he receives no further individual mention in Scripture. His name, possibly meaning "loathing" or "fatness" in Hebrew, situates him within the complex household politics of a king renowned for polygamy and for his divisive decision at the outset of his reign that fractured the united Israelite kingdom.
Significance
Zaham's brief appearance in the genealogical records of 2 Chronicles serves as a reminder of the far-reaching consequences of royal decisions. Rehoboam's household, of which Zaham was a part, exemplified the broader instability that followed Solomon's idolatrous legacy. The listing of Rehoboam's many sons underscores the dynastic ambitions and political complexities of Judah's early monarchy. While Zaham himself plays no active role in the narrative, his existence within the Davidic lineage points to God's continuing preservation of the royal line through which the messianic promise would ultimately be fulfilled.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
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]