ZEBADIAH zĕb’ ə dī ə (זְבַדְיָ֨הוּ׃֙, or זְבַדְיָ֥ה, meaning Yah(weh) has bestowed. Both forms appear several times in the OT). 1. A Levite of the family of Korah (1 Chron 26:2), one of the gatekeepers for the future temple (זְבַדְיָ֨הוּ׃֙).

2. A Levite, one of nine sent by King Jehoshaphat to teach the law in the cities of Judah (2 Chron 17:8, זְבַדְיָ֡הוּ). There were sixteen teachers in all, five princes, nine Levites and two priests (2 Chron 17:7-9).

3. A “governor of the house of Judah, in all the king’s affairs” (2 Chron 19:11 זְבַדְיָ֨הוּ), son of Ishmael, a kind of judge in civil cases whose task it was to decide disputed cases (2 Chron 19:8). See [http://biblegateway/wiki/Law in the Old Testament LAW], Judge, [http://biblegateway/wiki/Courts, Judicial COURT OF LAW].

4. A Benjaminite descended from Beriah (1 Chron 8:15 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

5. A Benjaminite descended from Elpael (1 Chron 8:17 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

6. One of two sons of Jeroham of Gedor of the tribe of Benjamin who joined David at Ziklag (q.v.) (1 Chron 12:7 זְבַדְיָ֛ה).

7. One of David’s army officers, son of Asahel and brother of Joab who had charge of one of the twelve units of his army, each responsible for a month’s military duty (1 Chron 27:7 זְבַדְיָ֥ה).

8. One of those who returned from the Exile in Babylon (q.v.) to Jerusalem with Ezra (Ezra 8:8 זְבַדְיָ֖ה cf. Zaraiah in 1 Esd 8:34).

9. One of those who married foreign wives in the days of Ezra, listed among the priests (Ezra 10:20 זְבַדְיָֽה). With many others he was compelled to put away his foreign wife and her children at the time of Ezra’s reform (cf. 1 Esd 9:21 Zebadiah).