Zeruah צְרוּעָה
Mother of Jeroboam, first king of Israel
Who is Zeruah in the Bible?
Zeruah was the mother of Jeroboam, who became the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the division of the united monarchy (1 Kings 11:26). She is mentioned in the biblical account as a widow whose son rose to prominence in Solomon's administration before rebelling against the king and eventually establishing the northern kingdom following Solomon's death. Jeroboam's return from Egypt and his coronation as king over the ten northern tribes fulfilled a prophecy spoken to him by the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite. Though Zeruah herself appears only briefly in Scripture, her mention underscores the humble family origins of the man who would lead Israel's first major political division.
Biography
Zeruah was the mother of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the division of the united monarchy. She is mentioned in the account of Jeroboam's rise to power in 1 Kings 11. Zeruah was a widow, and her son Jeroboam was an official in Solomon's administration. Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon and fled to Egypt. After Solomon's death, Jeroboam returned and was made king over the ten northern tribes, fulfilling a prophecy given to him by Ahijah the Shilonite. Zeruah's mention in this context highlights Jeroboam's background and family situation.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Kings 1 verse
- 1 Kings 11:26
"Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king,"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | צְרוּעָה |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Zeruah
6, but the long the Septuagint after Massoretic Text of 12:24 reads (12:24b): "And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, a servant of Solomon, and his name was Jeroboam, and the name of his mother was Sareisa (Septuagint has Sareisa), a harlot."
See ZARETHAN.
ze-rub'-a-bel (zerubbabhel, probably a transliteration of the Babylonian name Zeru-Babili, "seed of Babylon"; Zorobabel):
1Name
Is commonly called the son of Shealtiel (