Zabdiel
זַבְדִּיאֵל/ZAB-dee-el/
“Gift of God or my gift is God”
Summary
A name meaning 'gift of God' borne by two Israelites, the father of one of David's captains and an overseer of priests after the exile.
☩Father of Jashobeam
Zabdiel was the father of Jashobeam, who served as chief of David's warriors and commanded the first division of 24,000 men that served the king during the first month. His son was one of David's most valiant warriors.
Key verses:1 Chronicles 27:2
☩Overseer of Priests
Another Zabdiel, described as 'son of one of the great men' (Haggedolim), served as overseer of 128 priests who had returned from Babylonian exile and settled in Jerusalem. This indicates he held a position of authority over the priestly families in the restored community.
Key verses:Nehemiah 11:14
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Zabdiel," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Zabdiel," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).