Original Word: זַָבַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zabad
Pronunciation: zah-BAHD
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-bad')
KJV: endure
NASB: endowed
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to confer

endure

A primitive root; to confer -- endure.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
bestow upon, endow with
NASB Translation
endowed (1).

[זָבַד] verb bestow upon, endow with (Arabic ; Aramaic זְבַד, Genesis 30:20, dowry; in Sabean proper name, see below זָבָד below; also in Palmyrene proper name נבוזבד Vog^{73and many others} (זבד, זבדא, זבידא, זבדעתא, זבדבל = Ζαβδιβηλος, etc.): see Eut^{Sechs Inschr. aus Idalien p. 15}), זְבָדַנִי אלהים אֹתִי זֶבֶד טוֺב Genesis 30:20 a (E), apparently in explanation of name Zebulun, compare Thes Di; another explanation in v^b, see below זבל.

Occurrence and Context

The verb appears once in the Hebrew text, at Genesis 30:20. Leah, having given birth to her sixth son, exclaims, “God has endowed me with a good gift. Now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons” (Berean Standard Bible). The word captures her conviction that the child is not merely the result of human effort but a gracious bestowal from God.

Theological Significance of Divine Endowment

1. Source of Blessing: Leah’s declaration frames the child as God’s initiative. The verse underscores a biblical pattern in which children, callings, and resources are portrayed as gifts (Psalm 127:3; James 1:17).
2. Covenant Continuity: Zebulun, the “endowed” son, becomes head of a tribe later blessed by both Jacob (Genesis 49:13) and Moses (Deuteronomy 33:18-19). The single verb thus links the patriarchal narratives with Israel’s tribal history, illustrating the continuity of divine generosity through generations.
3. Dignity Restored: Leah’s hope that “my husband will honor me” shows the restorative intent behind God’s gifts. What humanity cannot secure by its own power—acceptance, favor, identity—God freely grants.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the ancient Near East, large families were prized for labor and legacy. Leah’s vocabulary of “endowment” suggests legal language used when property was transferred as a dowry or inheritance. By invoking such language, Scripture signals that God Himself acts as Leah’s benefactor, conferring value that social structures had denied her.

Related Names and Concepts

Although the verb itself is rare, its semantic field lives on in personal names derived from the same root, such as Zabdi, Zebadiah, and Zebedee. These names, scattered across Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Gospels, silently testify that “the Lord has bestowed” remains a cherished confession across Israel’s account and into the New Testament era.

Echoes in the New Testament

The motif culminates in the doctrine of spiritual gifts. Paul teaches, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Romans 12:6). The language of “grace given” reflects the same theology of endowment first voiced by Leah. What began as a maternal cry of gratitude matures into the apostolic teaching that every believer is equipped by the Spirit for service (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Peter 4:10).

Pastoral and Devotional Insights

• Gratitude: Recognizing life, family, and vocation as divine endowments fosters worshipful thanksgiving.
• Identity: Leah’s account assures those who feel overlooked that God is attentive, endowing and honoring in His time.
• Stewardship: Gifts received are meant to be stewarded for the good of others, whether material resources or spiritual abilities.
• Hope: The God who endowed Leah remains the same Lord who “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

Ministry Application

Church leaders can draw on Genesis 30:20 when teaching about child dedication, spiritual gifts, or the dignity of marginalized believers. Small groups might explore how acknowledging God’s endowments transforms envy into thanksgiving, competition into cooperation, and scarcity into generosity.

Christological Reflection

Ultimately, the greatest divine endowment is the Father’s gift of the Son: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16). Leah’s language of endowment foreshadows this supreme act of giving, inviting readers to see every lesser gift as a signpost pointing to the grace revealed in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Though the verb occurs only once, its theological resonance spans Scripture. From Leah’s tent to the upper room, God’s people discover that every good thing—life, calling, salvation—is an endowment from the Giver whose generosity never fails.

זְבָדַ֨נִי זבדני zə·ḇā·ḏa·nî zəḇāḏanî zevaDaniInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts