Original Word: נְדַבְיָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ndabyah
Pronunciation: neh-dab-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ned-ab-yaw')
KJV: Nedabiah
NASB: Nedabiah
Word Origin: [from H5068 (נָדַב - offered willingly) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. largess of Jah
2. Nedabjah, an Israelite

Nedabiah

From nadab and Yahh; largess of Jah; Nedabjah, an Israelite -- Nedabiah.

see HEBREW nadab

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from nadab
Definition
"whom Yah impels," a son of Jeconiah
NASB Translation
Nedabiah (1).

נְדַבְיָה proper name, masculine (whom Yah impels; in Assyrian Na-ad-bi-ia-a-u Jäger^{BAS i. 468}); — son of Jeconiah 1 Chronicles 3:18. ᵐ5 Δενεθει, ᵐ5^L Ναδαβια.

Scriptural Context

1 Chronicles 3:17–18 lists the descendants of Jeconiah during the Babylonian captivity: “And the sons of Jeconiah the captive: Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah”. Nedabiah therefore belongs to the royal house of Judah and stands in the direct line of David at the very moment when that line appeared cut off by exile. His appearance occurs only here, but the placement is strategic—between the curse on Jeconiah’s line (Jeremiah 22:30) and the eventual restoration seen in Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:23).

Historical Setting

Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin) was exiled to Babylon in 597 BC (2 Kings 24:15). While in captivity he fathered several sons, including Nedabiah. Though Jeconiah’s reign lasted a mere three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9), his family tree continued to unfold under foreign rule. Nedabiah’s birth in Babylon testifies that God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12–16) survived the fall of Jerusalem.

Preservation of the Davidic Line

The Chronicler carefully records even the lesser–known sons to demonstrate that the royal lineage was never extinguished. In the broader biblical narrative, the post-exilic descendants trace through both Shealtiel and Pedaiah to Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:2; 5:2), an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:12–13; Luke 3:27). Nedabiah’s inclusion stresses the breadth of the surviving family, underscoring that God’s promises endure despite national judgment.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Faithfulness: Nedabiah’s solitary mention, nested amid a list of brothers, serves as a quiet witness that the Lord “does not lie or change His mind” regarding His oath to David (Psalm 89:34–35).
2. Hope in Exile: For the first readers of Chronicles—returnees rebuilding a shattered nation—names like Nedabiah proved that exile did not nullify their royal heritage.
3. Messianic Trajectory: Though not an ancestor in the legal line leading to Christ, Nedabiah expands the witness that multiple strands of Davidic blood survived, reinforcing the legitimacy of the Messiah’s claim.

Ministry and Practical Lessons

• Hidden Faithfulness: Nedabiah never performs mighty deeds recorded in Scripture, yet his brief mention contributes to the evidentiary chain securing the messianic hope. Ministry impact is often measured by faithfulness within family and obscurity.
• Generational Stewardship: The list in 1 Chronicles 3 challenges believers to view parenthood and lineage as platforms for covenant continuity, even when circumstances seem to eclipse public influence.
• Divine Providence in Adversity: Born to a deposed king in a foreign land, Nedabiah embodies God’s ability to nurture promise amid discipline, reminding the church that exile experiences cannot thwart divine purposes.

Related References

Jeremiah 22:24–30; 2 Kings 25:27–30; Ezra 1:1–2; Haggai 2:20–23; Matthew 1:11–12.

וּנְדַבְיָֽה׃ ונדביה׃ ū·nə·ḏaḇ·yāh ūnəḏaḇyāh unedavYahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts