the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Zeruiah
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Heb. Tseruyah', צְרוּיָה [1 Samuel 14:1 צְריָּה , wounded [Gesen.] or balsam [Fü rst]; Sept and Josephus, Σαρουϊ v α; Vulg. Sarvia), a woman noted as the mother of the three leading heroes of David's army-Abishai, Joab, and Asahel — the sons of Zeruiah (1 Samuel 26:6; 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Kings 1:7, etc.). B.C. ante 1046. She and Abigail are specified in the genealogy of David's family in 1 Chronicles 2:13-17 as "sisters of the sons of Jesse" (1 Chronicles 2:16; comp. Josephus, Ant. 6:10,1). The expression is in itself enough to raise a suspicion that she was not a daughter of Jesse, a suspicion which is corroborated by the statement of 2 Samuel 17:25, that Abigail was the daughter of Nahash. Abigail being apparently the younger of the two women, it is a probable inference that they were both the daughters of Nahash, but whether this Nahash be as Prof. Stanley has ingeniously conjectured-the king of the Ammonites and the former husband of Jesse's wife, or some other person unknown, must forever remain a mere conjecture. (See DAVID); (See NAHASH).
Her relation to Jessen (in the original Ishai) is expressed in the name of her son Abishai. Of Zeruiah's husband there is no mention in the Bible. Josephus (Anf. 7:3) explicitly states that his name was Souri (Σουρί ), but no corroboration of the statement appears to have been discovered in the Jewish traditions, nor does Josephus himself refer to it again. The mother of such remarkable sons must herself have been a remarkable woman, and this may account for the fact, unusual if not unique, that the family is always called after her, and that her husband's name has not been considered worthy of preservation in the sacred records.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Zeruiah'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/z/zeruiah.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
