Children Joab, Abishai, Asahel Niece Tamar | Siblings David, Abigail | |
Nephews Absalom, Solomon, Adonijah, Amasa, Amnon Similar | ||
Gem 33 zeruiah david s sister mother of all 3 heroes of israel
Zeruiah /zəˈruːjə/ (צרויה, sometimes transliterated Tzruya or Zeruya) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible. She was a sister of King David. According to 1 Chronicles 2:13-16 and also the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 55), Zeruiah was a daughter of Jesse (sister to Abigail another of Jesse's daughters according to 2 Samuel 17:25). Zeruiah had three sons, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom were soldiers in David's army (and also David's nephews).
Very little is told of her. However, her sons are invariably mentioned with the matronymic "son of Zeruiah", in marked contrast to most other Biblical characters (and people in many other cultures) who are known by a patronymic. This suggests that she was an exceptionally important person, though the specific circumstances are not given.
Her name is used—though not very frequently—as a female given name in contemporary Israel (see Tzruya Lahav, Zeruya Shalev).