Boy Old Testament Rare
Jabesh
dryness; confusion; shame
יָבֵשׁ ya.vesh
Jabesh (Hebrew: יָבֵשׁ, ya.vesh) means “dryness; confusion; shame”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 3 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears in the same passages as Argob.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Jabesh
son of Shallum; father of Shallum
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 3 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
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 | 2 Kings 15:10 |
| Last appears | 2 Kings 15:14 |
| Cross-references | 40 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Shallum co-occurrence Appears with Shallum in 2 Kings 15.
- Gadi co-occurrence Appears with Gadi in 2 Kings 15.
- Menahem co-occurrence Appears with Menahem in 2 Kings 15.
- Argob co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Argob.
- Arieh co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arieh.
- Jerusha co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Jerusha.
- Jecoliah co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Jecoliah.
Origin & meaning
A man of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.15.10;
father of: Shallum (H7967)
§ Jabesh = "dry"
1) a town in the territory of Gilead; according to Eusebius, it is beyond the Jordan, 6 miles (10 km) from Pella, on the mountain road to Gerasa
may be modern 'Wadi Yabes'
2) father of Shallum, the 15th king of the northern kingdom
Jabesh, the son of Shallum, conspired against and assassinated Zechariah, becoming king of Israel, but reigned for only one month before being killed by Menahem.
The biblical story
Jabesh, the son of Shallum, appears in 2Ki.15.10, 13-14 as a short-lived king of Israel during a period of political instability. He conspired against Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam II, and assassinated him in front of the people, thereby ending the dynasty of Jehu (2Ki.15.10).
After killing Zechariah, Jabesh became king of Israel, but his reign lasted only one month (2Ki.15.13). He was then killed by Menahem, the son of Gadi, who attacked Jabesh from Tirzah and succeeded him as king (2Ki.15.14).
The brief account of Jabesh's reign highlights the turbulent political climate in Israel during this period, characterized by frequent coups, assassinations, and short-lived kings. The northern kingdom of Israel was in a state of decline, facing internal strife and external threats from the growing power of Assyria.
Jabesh's actions in assassinating Zechariah and seizing the throne demonstrate the lack of stability and the disregard for the Davidic covenant, which had promised an enduring dynasty for David's descendants (2Sa.7.12-16). The rapid succession of kings and the violence associated with their rise and fall were indicative of the spiritual and moral decay in Israel, which would ultimately lead to the nation's downfall and exile.
Key verses
Jabesh appears in 3 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 15:10 -
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
2 Kings 15:13 -
For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 15:14
Show all 3 references
2 Kings (3)
- 2 Kings 15:10
- 2 Kings 15:13
- 2 Kings 15:14