Zobebah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Zobebah was a descendant of Judah, mentioned in the genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles. He appears in a single verse of Scripture, 1 Chronicles 4:8, which reads, “And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.” This places Zobebah within the broader tribal record of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose descendants formed one of the most prominent tribes of Israel.
The setting of this passage is a genealogical list. In 1 Chronicles 4, the writer traces the lines of Judah’s descendants, noting various clans and families that made up the tribe. Zobebah is named as a son of Coz, alongside his brother Anub. The verse also mentions “the families of Aharhel the son of Harum,” indicating that this portion of the record preserves the memory of several related family lines within Judah.
Scripture tells us nothing more about Zobebah than this single mention. We are not given his deeds, his character, the length of his life, or any event in which he took part. He did not perform a notable act, receive a divine promise, or speak a recorded word. He simply appears in the genealogy as a son of Coz, a link in the chain of Judah’s descendants. What Scripture says of him is, quite literally, his name and his father’s name. He is one of many in the chronicler’s record whose chief significance is that they belonged to the covenant people and to the tribe from which the Messiah would later come.
The Name
The name Zobebah is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text or from the standard lexical sources. Some have suggested a connection to a root having to do with flowing or dripping, but this is uncertain and not well established. Because the meaning is not plainly attested, it is best to say so honestly rather than assign a meaning that the evidence does not support. What can be said is that the name belonged to a real man in Judah’s line, and it was preserved by the chronicler as part of Israel’s family record.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered in a genealogy, let alone in Scripture. Zobebah’s entire legacy in the Bible is one line: he was a son of Coz, in the tribe of Judah. Yet that line mattered, because it was part of the family into which God was weaving His promise. A quiet, unremarkable place in a long list is still a place in the story of redemption. If your life feels hidden and small, take heart: God keeps His own records, and no one who belongs to His people is forgotten before Him.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 4:8 — And Coz begat Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.