Zebadiah
Zebadiah was a son of Elpaal and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Biography
Zebadiah was a son of Elpaal and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, listed among the residents of Aijalon who drove out the inhabitants of Gath (1 Chronicles 8:15-17). The Benjaminite genealogies in 1 Chronicles 8 are dense and complex, tracing the tribal lineages that were vital to the post-exilic community's reconstruction of identity and territorial claims. Elpaal fathered several sons, of whom Zebadiah is one, and the family is associated with the town of Aijalon in the Shephelah region, a strategically significant location. The brief notation that Elpaal's descendants expelled the people of Gath suggests this family played a role in early Israelite territorial expansion in the region.
Significance
Zebadiah's inclusion in Benjamin's genealogical record in 1 Chronicles reflects the post-exilic community's effort to reconnect returning Israelites with their ancestral tribal heritage. Benjamin occupied a uniquely important position in Israelite history, the tribe of King Saul, and the tribe that remained loyal to the house of David after the northern secession. The territorial assertions embedded in these genealogies served both legal and theological purposes: grounding the restored community in the land promises of the covenant. Even figures like Zebadiah, known only by name, are essential threads in the larger tapestry of God's faithfulness to his people across generations.
Verse Appearances (1)
1Chr
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]