Tabeal
“God is good (though possibly altered to mean 'good for nothing')”
Summary
Tabeal was the father of an unnamed man whom the allied kings of Syria and Israel intended to place on the throne of Judah in place of King Ahaz.
☩Historical Context
During the reign of Ahaz king of Judah (circa 735 BC), Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel formed an alliance against Judah. Their plan was to dethrone Ahaz and replace him with 'the son of Tabeal,' who would presumably be more amenable to their confederacy against Assyria. The identity of Tabeal's son remains unknown, though some conjecture he was a powerful Ephraimite sympathizer, possibly Zichri mentioned in 2 Chronicles 28:7.
☩Origin of the Name
The Aramaic form of the name suggests he may have been a Syrian in Rezin's army rather than an Israelite. The Hebrew text vocalizes the name as 'Tabeal' (meaning 'good for nothing'), which may represent a deliberate scribal alteration to express contempt for the conspirators, as the original form 'Tabeel' means 'God is good.' The Targum of Jonathan renders it as an appellative: 'him who seems good to us.'
Related Verses1 mention
Isaiah· 1 verse
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Tabeal," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Tabeal," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Tabeal," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Tabeal," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).