Who was Zibiah in the Bible?

Zibiah was a woman from Beersheba who became the mother of King Joash (also called Jehoash) of Judah. She is mentioned briefly as the king's mother in the historical books (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 24:1).

Why is Zibiah significant in the Bible?

Zibiah's significance comes from her role as the mother of King Joash, who was crowned at age seven after the overthrow of the wicked Queen Athaliah. Her son's reign, though it ended poorly, included the important restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem.

What do we know about Zibiah's life?

The Bible only records that Zibiah was from Beersheba and was the wife of King Ahaziah of Judah. Her key life event was the birth of her son Joash, who was hidden from Athaliah's purge and later became king (2 Chronicles 22:10-12).

Zibiah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyFemaleKingMother

Zibiah, from Beersheba, was the mother of King Joash (or 'Jehoash') of Judah (2Ki.12.1; 2Ch.24.1).

Zibiah

Biography

Zibiah was a native of Beersheba who became the wife of King Ahaziah of Judah and the mother of Joash (also called Jehoash), who reigned over Judah for forty years (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 24:1). When the usurper Athaliah seized the throne and massacred the royal family following Ahaziah's death, the infant Joash was hidden in the temple by his aunt Jehosheba and the priest Jehoiada. Zibiah's role in events before and after Joash's rescue is not recorded, yet as his mother she is named at the head of his royal biography according to the Deuteronomistic formula for Judean kings, which consistently identifies the king's mother. Her Beersheba origins connect her to the southernmost city of Judah, traditionally the boundary marker of the land.

Significance

Zibiah's mention as the mother of Joash carries quiet but substantial significance. The formula "his mother's name was" in the Judean king introductions reflects the queen mother's recognized institutional role in the royal court and her theological significance as the one through whom the Davidic line was perpetuated. In Joash's case, this is particularly poignant: the survival of the Davidic covenant promise hung on the concealment of a single infant, and Zibiah had given birth to the child in whom that promise continued. Her son's early reign, guided by the priest Jehoiada, was marked by genuine reform and temple restoration, suggesting a mother whose son was capable of covenant faithfulness when properly guided and supported.

Verse Appearances (2)

2 Kings

2 Kings 12:1

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 24:1

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]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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