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Zebina

biblical_person theological_term standard

Zebina is a man named in Ezra 10:43 among the sons or descendants of Nebo who had taken foreign wives in the postexilic reform period.

At a Glance

A man listed in Ezra 10:43 among those connected with the sons or descendants of Nebo who had married foreign wives.

Key Points

Description

Zebina is a minor biblical proper name appearing in Ezra 10:43. He is listed among the sons or descendants of Nebo in the account of Ezra’s postexilic reform, where the men named are identified as having taken foreign wives. Scripture provides no additional narrative or biographical information about Zebina, so the safest treatment is to identify him simply as one of the named individuals in that reform list without further speculation.

Biblical Context

Ezra 10 records Ezra’s response to the problem of covenant unfaithfulness among the returned exiles. Zebina appears in the list of men connected with Nebo who are included in the reform response.

Historical Context

The reference belongs to the postexilic period after Israel’s return from Babylonian exile, when the community was being reconstituted around covenant obedience and separation from practices that threatened faithfulness to the Lord.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In the restored community, genealogies and household lists were important for identity, inheritance, and covenant order. The naming of individuals in Ezra 10 reflects that communal and legal setting.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew name is transliterated as Zebina. The text preserves it as a personal name in the postexilic list.

Theological Significance

Zebina’s only significance is as part of Ezra’s record of covenant correction. The passage highlights the seriousness of obedience, repentance, and communal reform among God’s people.

Philosophical Explanation

This entry is not a theological concept but a historical-biblical person name. Its importance lies in how Scripture records real individuals within covenant history.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build doctrine or detailed biography from Zebina’s name alone. Scripture gives no further information beyond his place in the Ezra 10 list.

Major Views

There is no major interpretive dispute about Zebina himself; the main issue is identifying him correctly as a proper name in Ezra 10:43.

Doctrinal Boundaries

Zebina should not be treated as a doctrine, office, or theological term. He is a named individual in a historical biblical list.

Practical Significance

The passage in which Zebina appears reminds readers that God cares about covenant faithfulness in ordinary community life and that repentance includes concrete obedience.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Zebina

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