Ζεβεδαῖος
Zebedaîos
G2199 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name referring to Zebedaios, an individual found in the New Testament, father of the disciples James and John. The name functions as a proper noun and does not carry a lexical meaning beyond identification of this individual. In some contexts, the name may imply ancestral or familial connections, but it does not bear an inherent descriptive or semantic value beyond its use as a name.
Semantic Range
Zebedaios (proper name), father of James and John, personal designation
Root / Etymology
The name Ζεβεδαῖος is of Semitic (Hebrew) origin, likely corresponding to the Hebrew זְבַדְיָה (Zevadyah; 'Yahweh has given' or 'gift of Yahweh') or the related זַבְדִּי (Zabdiy; 'endowed', 'given'). The Greek spelling reflects standard Hellenization of Hebrew proper names in the Koine period.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Ζεβεδαῖος appears exclusively as a personal name in the New Testament Gospels (e.g., Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19; Matthew 10:2), always designating the father of the disciples James and John. The name reflects the broader pattern of Israelite names being adapted into Greek forms as Judeans and others interacted with Hellenistic culture. Greek-speaking audiences would have encountered the name primarily within narratives concerning Judean or Galilean persons, with the Greek form serving as a direct transliteration rather than translation. English translations traditionally render the name as 'Zebedee'. The underlying Hebrew name was common in the postexilic and Second Temple periods and is often theophoric, incorporating a reference to Yahweh. The name bears no meaning relevant to general vocabulary, theology, or doctrinal teaching; it functions purely as a marker of individual identity in the Gospel texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (compare זַבְדִּי); Zebedæus, an Israelite:--Zebedee.
Root Family
Ζεβεδ- (Zebedaîos) — personal name, proper noun
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2199-02 |
Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios | 11 |
G2199-01 |
Ζεβεδαῖον | zebedaion | N ACC M SG |
Zebedee | Zebedaios | Zebedaios | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2199-02 |
Matthew 4:21 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Matthew 4:21 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou-2 | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Matthew 10:2 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Matthew 20:20 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
of Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Matthew 26:37 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
of Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Matthew 27:56 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Mark 1:19 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-01 |
Mark 1:20 | Ζεβεδαῖον | zebedaion | N ACC M SG |
Zebedee | Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Mark 3:17 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Mark 10:35 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
of Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
Luke 5:10 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
of Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |
G2199-02 |
John 21:2 | Ζεβεδαίου | zebedaiou | N GEN M SG |
Zebedee | of Zebedaios | Zebedaios |