Zabad זָבָד
Israelite who married a foreign wife
Who is Zabad in the Bible?
Zabad was an Israelite, the son of Nebo, who married a foreign wife during the Babylonian exile (Ezra 10:43). He is mentioned in Ezra's list of Jewish men who had intermarried with pagan peoples in violation of God's covenant law. When Ezra returned to Jerusalem and discovered these mixed marriages, he called the people to repentance, and Zabad was among those who agreed to separate from their foreign wives and children to preserve the religious and ethnic purity of the Jewish community. His inclusion in this account illustrates the serious struggle the post-exilic community faced in maintaining their identity and faithfulness to God's commands after returning from captivity.
Biography
Zabad, the son of Nebo, is mentioned in the list of men who had married foreign wives during the Babylonian exile. This problem was discovered when Ezra, the priest and scribe, returned to Jerusalem and found that many Israelites had intermarried with the pagan peoples of the land, violating God's command. Zabad was among those who had taken a foreign wife. In response to Ezra's call for repentance, Zabad and the others agreed to put away their foreign wives and children to maintain the purity of the Jewish people. He is also referred to as "Zabadeas" in 1Es 9.35.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentEzra 1 verse
- Ezra 10:43
"And from the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | זָבָד |