Original Word: זְבִידָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Zbiydah
Pronunciation: zeh-BID-dah
Phonetic Spelling: (zeb-ee-daw')
KJV: Zebudah
NASB: Zebidah
Word Origin: [feminine from H2064 (זָבַד - endowed)]

1. giving
2. Zebidah, an Israelitess

Zebudah

Feminine from zabad; giving; Zebidah, an Israelitess -- Zebudah.

see HEBREW zabad

Word Origin
from zabad
Definition
mother of Jehoiakim
NASB Translation
Zebidah (1).

זבידה Kt, זְבוּדָּה Qr, proper name, feminine mother of Jehoiakim 2 Kings 23:36 זְביּדָּ֯ה בַתמְּֿדָיָה מִןרֿוּמָה; ("" 2 Chronicles 36:5 omitted by MT); quite otherwise ᵐ5^B Ἰελλα, daughter of Ἐδειλ; in A the names are Ειἐλδαφ & Ειἐδδιλα; ᵐ52Chronicles 36:5 Ζε(κ)χωρα & Νηρειου; ᵐ5^L (Kings & Chronicles) Ἀμιταλ & Ἰερεμιου (confusion with Zedekiah's mother 2Chronicles 24:18).

Scriptural Occurrence

2 Kings 23:36 is the sole mention: “Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.”

Historical Setting

Jehoiakim’s reign (608–598 BC) fell between the death of righteous King Josiah and the first Babylonian deportation. Egypt’s Pharaoh Neco placed Jehoiakim on the throne (2 Kings 23:34), and Babylon soon eclipsed Egypt, drawing Judah into a tense vassalage (2 Kings 24:1). Zebidah therefore lived during Judah’s last troubled decade before exile, witnessing the erosion of the reforms initiated by her husband, Josiah.

Role and Influence as Queen Mother

In the monarchies of Judah, the “mother of the king” held an official court position, often seated beside the king (Jeremiah 13:18) and occasionally exercising political leverage (1 Kings 15:13). Zebidah’s name is preserved precisely because of this recognized status. While Scripture does not record her words or deeds, the inclusion of her lineage—“daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah”—suggests a family of some standing in Israel. Rumah is commonly identified with Tell Rumeh in the Galilee region, indicating that the royal house continued to draw brides from the northern territories even after the fall of the Northern Kingdom.

Contrast of Family Legacies

Zebidah’s husband, Josiah, “walked in all the ways of his father David” (2 Kings 22:2), but her son Jehoiakim “did evil in the sight of the LORD his God” (2 Chronicles 36:5). The contrast underscores the biblical principle that righteousness is not automatically inherited (Ezekiel 18:20). It also highlights the varied outcomes within a single household and points to the necessity of personal covenant fidelity.

Spiritual Insights and Applications

• Parental stewardship: Children are “a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3). Zebidah’s very name (“given” or “gift”) reminds readers that every child is entrusted to parents for godly nurture (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
• Limits of parental influence: Jehoiakim’s apostasy cautions against presuming that faithful parents can secure a child’s obedience; each generation must choose (Joshua 24:15).
• The queen mother’s accountability: Though unnamed in prophetic indictments, Zebidah lived in the court where Jeremiah delivered his warnings (Jeremiah 26). The silence of Scripture leaves her personal response unknown, prompting reflection on individual responsibility amid national decline.

Connections to Other Biblical Characters

• Hamutal and Nehushta—other queen mothers of the final kings—are cited alongside their sons’ failures (2 Kings 23:31; 24:8). The cluster of maternal references in this period hints at the elevated public profile of royal mothers during Judah’s crisis years.
• Pedaiah of Rumah—Zebidah’s father—shares his name with Pedaiah the governor who later helped rebuild Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 3:25), illustrating the recurrence of godly names across generations even when faithfulness varies.

Tradition and Extra-Biblical References

Later Jewish tradition is silent concerning Zebidah, in contrast to interest shown in figures like Hezekiah’s mother, Abi. The lack of legendary development likely reflects both her singular mention and Jehoiakim’s negative legacy.

Ministry Significance Today

Zebidah’s brief appearance challenges readers and ministry leaders to:

1. Affirm the dignity and potential influence of mothers within God’s redemptive plan.
2. Pray for those raising children in morally turbulent times, recognizing the spiritual battle for every heart.
3. Emphasize personal repentance and faith rather than relying on heritage or proximity to godly institutions.

Summary

Zebidah stands at the crossroads of Judah’s final chapter—a royal mother whose life spanned the zenith of Josiah’s reforms and the descent under Jehoiakim. Though Scripture affords her only a single mention, her placement in the inspired record invites meditation on maternal influence, generational responsibility, and the sovereignty of God over nations and families alike.

זְבוּדָּ֥ה זבודה zə·ḇū·dāh zəḇūdāh zevuDahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts