Original Word: אֶשְׁבֵּעַ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ashbea`
Pronunciation: ash-BAY-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (ash-bay'-ah)
KJV: Ashbea
Word Origin: [from H7650 (שָׁבַע - swore)]

1. adjurer
2. Asbea, an Israelite

Ashbea

From shaba'; adjurer; Asbea, an Israelite -- Ashbea.

see HEBREW shaba'

Word Origin
from the same as shaba
Definition
"adjurer," an Isr.
NASB Translation
Beth-ashbea* (1).

Name and Single Biblical Occurrence

Eshbeʼa (Strong’s Hebrew 791) is mentioned only in 1 Chronicles 4 21 within the larger Judahite genealogy preserved by the Chronicler. There the term appears in the compound phrase “Beth-ashbea,” rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as “the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea.” The word therefore identifies the head of a family or clan whose descendants formed a settlement acknowledged for a specialized craft.

Genealogical Placement within Judah

1 Chronicles 4 situates Eshbeʼa among the sons of Shelah, the third son of Judah (Genesis 38 5). Whereas the royal and messianic line flows through Judah’s son Perez (Ruth 4 18–22; Matthew 1 3), Shelah’s descendants are noted for their vocational contributions to the life of the nation rather than for rulership. Their inclusion underscores the Chronicler’s theme that every branch of the covenant people—whether royal, priestly, or artisan—has a divinely appointed role in redemptive history.

Occupational Identity: Linen Workers

The only direct description of Eshbeʼa’s clan is their association with linen craftsmanship. Linen holds unique prominence in Scripture:

• Priestly garments of fine twisted linen (Exodus 28 39–43)
• Sanctuary hangings and veil (Exodus 26 1)
• Symbol of righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19 8)

By highlighting a Judahite family devoted to linen production, the Chronicler links everyday vocational skill to the purity and worship central to Israel’s covenant life. The service of the “house of Eshbeʼa” thus anticipates the later priestly need for consecrated garments and illustrates how God equips particular families for tasks that advance worship.

Geographic and Historical Setting

The prefix “Beth-” (“house of”) points to a village or district bearing the patriarch’s name. Though its exact location is uncertain, textual pairing with Lachish, Mareshah, and Achzib in the same list (1 Chronicles 4 21–23) suggests the Shephelah—the low-lying Judean foothills—as its probable region. This area served as a buffer between the coastal Philistines and the Judean highlands. A community of linen workers here would profit from locally grown flax as well as trade routes linking Egypt and the Mediterranean coast.

Ministry Significance in the Chronicler’s Theology

The post-exilic audience of Chronicles needed assurance that every covenant member—whether a Levite at the altar or a craftsman in a village—mattered to God’s unfolding plan. By recording Eshbeʼa’s descendants, the Chronicler accomplishes four aims:

1. He validates their right to the land upon their return.
2. He dignifies manual labor devoted to worship.
3. He illustrates corporate dependence: priests required sacred garments; artisans supplied them.
4. He foreshadows the New-Covenant vision in which diverse gifts serve one body (1 Corinthians 12 4–27).

Christological Perspective

Judah’s lineage ultimately culminates in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7 14). While Eshbeʼa is not in the direct messianic line, his placement within Judah reinforces the covenant framework from which the Messiah descends. Moreover, Christ is portrayed in Revelation 1 13 with a robe reaching to His feet, a detail recalling priestly linen. The humble artisans of Beth-ashbea thus prefigure the provision of garments worthy of the Great High Priest.

Lessons for Contemporary Believers

• God records and remembers those who labor quietly yet faithfully (Hebrews 6 10).
• Vocational skills, when surrendered to the Lord, become vehicles for worship and witness.
• Purity, symbolized by linen, must clothe every believer’s conduct (Ephesians 4 24).

Summary

Eshbeʼa represents a Judahite patriarch whose descendants formed a settlement of linen craftsmen. Though mentioned only once, his lineage illustrates how specialized labor contributes to covenant worship, anticipates priestly purity, and fits within the broader tapestry leading to Christ. The brief notice is a lasting reminder that in God’s economy no service offered in faith is insignificant.

אַשְׁבֵּֽעַ׃ אשבע׃ ’aš·bê·a‘ ’ašbêa‘ ashBeaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts