Boy Old Testament Rare
Ebed
a servant; laborer
עֶ֫בֶד e.ved
Ebed (Hebrew: עֶ֫בֶד, e.ved) means “a servant; laborer”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Judges period. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Abimelech in Judges 9.
Which Ebed?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Ebed
father of Gaal; son of Gideon
-
Ebed
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 6 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Judges
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Judges 9:26 |
| Last appears | Ezra 8:6 |
| Cross-references | 16 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Abimelech attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Gideon.
- Zebul attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Gideon.
- Jotham attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Gideon.
- Gaal co-occurrence Appears with Gaal in Judges 9.
- Zebul co-occurrence Appears with Zebul in Judges 9.
- Jonathan co-occurrence Appears with Jonathan in Ezra 8.
- Abimelech co-occurrence Appears with Abimelech in Judges 9.
- Adin co-occurrence Appears with Adin in Ezra 8.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.8.6;
son of: Jonathan (H3129H)
§ Ebed = "servant"
1) father of Gaal in the time of the judges
2) son of Jonathan and one of the sons of Adin who returned from exile with Ezra
Ebed, a descendant of Adin, was among those who returned to Jerusalem with Ezra during the second wave of the return from Babylonian exile.
The biblical story
Ebed is mentioned in Ezr.8.6 as one of the descendants of Adin who returned to Jerusalem with Ezra during the second wave of the return from Babylonian exile. This return took place during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, who granted Ezra permission to lead a group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezr.7.11-26).
Ezra, a priest and scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, gathered a group of Israelites, including priests, Levites, and laypeople, to return to Jerusalem. The purpose of this return was to reestablish proper worship and religious practices in the city and to strengthen the Jewish community there.
In preparation for the journey, Ezra proclaimed a fast by the river Ahava, seeking God's protection and guidance (Ezr.8.21-23). He also took measures to ensure the safety of the temple treasures they were carrying and to appoint leaders among the priests and Levites (Ezr.8.24-30).
Ebed, as a descendant of Adin, was part of this group of returnees. The mention of his name and lineage highlights the diverse composition of the returning exiles and the importance of maintaining genealogical records.
Apart from this brief mention, no further information is provided about Ebed's specific role or contributions during the return to Jerusalem or the subsequent events recorded in the book of Ezra.
Key verses
Ebed appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
Ezra 8:6
Show all 1 reference
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 8:6