Ashbea is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Ashbea was a descendant of Judah, appearing in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles. He is named only once in the King James Bible, in 1 Chronicles 4:21, within the account of the sons of Shelah, who was a son of Judah. The passage lists the descendants of Shelah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea. Ashbea is thus identified with a family or household rather than merely as an individual, for the text speaks of “the house of Ashbea.”
The setting of this mention is a genealogy, a record of families and clans within the tribe of Judah. These lists preserved the identity and heritage of Israel’s tribes, particularly in the period after the return from exile, when ancestral records were important for establishing lineage and inheritance. Ashbea’s household is grouped with those who worked with fine linen, indicating that his family was known for a particular craft or trade. The text does not record any deed, word, or event from Ashbea’s life beyond this association.
Scripture says nothing further of Ashbea—no birth, death, or personal story. What is preserved is simply his name and the household that bore it, remembered among the families of Judah who wrought fine linen. His inclusion in the chronicler’s record shows that even those who receive only a single verse were counted among the people of God and their labor was not forgotten.
The Name
The meaning of the name Ashbea is not clearly recoverable from the Hebrew text. Various suggestions have been offered by scholars, but none is firmly established, and the name’s etymology remains uncertain. Because Scripture provides no interpretation of the name and no reliable meaning can be confirmed, it is best to say plainly that the meaning is unknown rather than to assign it a definition that cannot be supported.
A Closing Thought
Ashbea’s life is summed up in a single line about a family that made fine linen. No sermon, no miracle, no recorded word—just faithful work passed down through a household. Yet God saw fit to preserve his name in Scripture. Most of us will not be remembered for great deeds, but the quiet labor of ordinary days matters to God. He keeps the records we cannot, and He does not overlook the hands that work and the families that serve Him in obscurity.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 4:21 — The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were, Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of them that wrought fine linen, of the house of Ashbea,