Zabad

January 1, 2015

The death of King Joash (2 Chr 24:25-24:27)

“When the Arameans had withdrawn, leaving King Joash severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of the priest Jehoiada. They killed him on his bed so that he died. They buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. Those who conspired against him were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabite. Accounts of his sons, and of the many oracles against him, as well as the rebuilding of the house of God are written in the Commentary on the Book of the Kings.  His son Amaziah succeeded him.”

This section explains in detail what is mentioned in 1 Kings, chapter 12, about the tragic sudden death of King Joash. There it simply says that there was a revolt by his servants that killed him. There, without giving any details, his servants rose up against him. Led by Jozacar and Jehozabad, they killed him. There King Joash was killed at the Millo or fortress that goes to Silla, while here he is killed in his bed. Here there is a simple explanation. This act was to revenge the death of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, the old high priest. Here the names of those who killed him were Zabad and Jehozabad, as Jozacar has become Zabad. Notice that they were Ammonites and Moabites, not people from Judah. However, they buried him in Jerusalem, but not in the tomb of the kings where Jehoiada was buried. His son King Amaziah took over after him, so this was not a dynasty revolution, put a personal one. If you want more information about King Joash, the lost “Commentary on the Book of Kings” would be helpful. Here is the first mention of the biblical Book of Kings that this biblical writer was revising. It no longer is the lost book about the annals of the kings of Judah.

November 19, 2014

The listing of David’s warriors (1 Chr 11:26-11:47)

“The warriors of the armies were: Asahel the brother of Joab; Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem; Shammah of Harod; Helez the Pelonite; Ira son of Ikkesh of Tekoa; Abiezer of Anathoth; Sibbecai the Hushathite; Ilai the Ahohite; Maharai of Netophah; Heled son of Baanah of Netophah; Ittai son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjaminites; Benaiah of Pirathon; Hurai of the Wadi of Gaash; Abiel the Arbathite; Azmaveth of Bahurim; Eliahba of Shaalbon; Hashem the Gizonite; Jonathan son of Shagee the Hararite; Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite; Eliphal son of Ur; Hepher the Mecherathite; Ahijah the Pelonite; Hezro of Carmel; Naarai son of Ezbai; Joel the brother of Nathan; Mibhar son of Hagri; Zelek the Ammonite; Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah; Ira the Ithrite; Gareb the Ithrite; Uriah the Hittite; Zabad the son of Ahlai; Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a leader of the Reubenites, and thirty with him; Hanan the son of Maacah; Joshaphat the Mithnite; Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite; Jediael son of Shimri; Joha his brother, the Tizite; Eliel the Mahavite; Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam; Ithmah the Moabite; Eliel; Obed; and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.”

This list is much like the list in 2 Samuel, chapter 23. However there are 7 omissions and 22 additions as well as 8 name changes. For more information about these men see the notes in 2 Samuel. Of those 7 mentioned in 2 Samuel, that appeared there but did not make this list, they include: Elika of Harod, Eliphelet son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, and Bani the Gadite. The following 22 names were added and not in 2 Samuel: Eliphal the son of Ur, Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, Naarai the son of Ezbai, Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, Zabad the son of Ahlai, Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, Hanan the son of Maacah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite, Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel sons of Hotham the Aroerite, Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother the Tizite, Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite. The following 8 names have been changed. Helez the Paltite has become Helez the Pelonite. Mebunnai the Hushathite has become Sibbecai the Hushathite. Zalmon the Ahohite has become Ilai the Ahohite. Heleb son of Baanah of Netophah, had become Heled. Abi-albon the Arbathite has become Abiel. Hiddai of Gaash has become Hurai. Jashen has become Hashem the Gizonite. Jonathan the son of Shammah has become the son of Shagee.

November 10, 2014

The sons of Ephraim (1 Chr 7:20-7:21)

“The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead.”

The second son of Joseph Ephraim was the favorite son, who had 3 sons, According to Numbers, chapter 26, Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites, Becher, the clan of the Becherites, Tahan, of the clan of the Tahanites. Ephraim got the special blessing from Jacob in Genesis, chapter 48. Obviously, it was also the name of a territory in Canaan. According to Numbers, (1) (7) Shuthelah was the name of the son of Ephraim, the main group of Ephraim. (2) Bered was a place in Canaan and also the son of Ephraim. He may also be the same as Becher in Numbers. There are 2 sons named (3) (5) Tahath. One may be the Tahan mentioned in Numbers, while the other might be grandson. This presentation here is a little awkward. (4) Eleadah and (9) Elead are only mentioned here. It is not clear whose son they are. There are 6 people with the name of (6) Zabad and he is related to Tahath somehow. There are also 5 people with the name of (8) Ezer. Both Zabad and Ezer are names of Benjaminites, so that may be the cause of this confusion.

October 25, 2014

The descendents of Sheshan (1 Chr 2:31-2:41)

“Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But Sheshan had an Egyptian slave, whose name was Jarha. So Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his slave Jarha. She bore him Attai. Attai became the father of Nathan. Nathan became the father of Zabad. Zabad became the father of Ephlal. Ephlal became the father of Obed. Obed became the father of Jehu. Jehu became the father of Azariah. Azariah became the father of Helez. Helez became the father of Eleasah. Eleasah became the father of Sismai. Sismai became the father of Shallum. Shallum became the father of Jekamiah. Jekamiah became the father of Elishama.”

Now this lineage takes a new twist as we go through 13 generations from Sheshan who was 11 generations removed from Jacob or Israel. The son of (1) Sheshan was (2) Ahlai or Attai. First the son of Sheshan was Ahlai. Then the biblical author says that he had no sons, only daughters, so that one of the daughters married an Egyptian slave who bore a son named Attai. Is Ahlai the same as Attai, his grandson?   His son was (3) Nathan, while his son was (4) Zabad, who in turn had a son called (5) Ephlal. His son was (6) Obed, who in turn had a son called (7) Jehu. His son was (8) Azariah, while his son was (9) Helez. His son was (10) Eleasah who had a son named (11) Sismai. His son was (12) Shallum, who in turn had a son (13) Jekamiah, who had a son named (14) Elishama. There were 4 biblical characters with the name of Nathan. It is not clear whether this Nathan is the prophet at the time of David, or one on his men in his army, or neither. King David had a son named Nathan also. Nathan’s son Zabad may have been one of David’s mighty men. Obed was the grandfather of David, but this Obed may have been one of his mighty men, which is more probable. This Jehu is not King Jehu (841-814 BCE) of Israel, since there were 5 biblical characters with the name Jehu. There were 25 biblical people with the name of Azariah, a very popular name. The names Helez and Eleasah appear once elsewhere but the name Sismai is unique here. Shallum is another popular name with over 15 people with that name that also included a King of Israel (743 BCE), but not this Shallum. Jekamiah is not that popular, but Elishama is the name of 7 biblical people. Certainly, this biblical author had a lot of interest in this lineage.