Reference: Zebedee
American
The husband of Salome, and father of James and John the apostles. He was a fisherman in comfortable circumstances, on the west shore of the sea of Galilee, and readily spared his two sons at the call of the Savior, Mr 1:19-20. His wife also attended Christ, and ministered to him of her substance. See SALOME. His son John was personally known to the high-priest, and was charged by the dying Savior with the care of his mother, Joh 18:15-16; 19:26.
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Easton
a Galilean fisherman, the husband of Salome (q.v.), and the father of James and John, two of our Lord's disciples (Mt 4:21; 27:56; Mr 15:40). He seems to have been a man of some position in Capernaum, for he had two boats (Lu 5:4) and "hired servants" (Mr 1:20) of his own. No mention is made of him after the call of his two sons by Jesus.
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Fausets
A fisherman of Galilee; father of James and John. In easy circumstances, for he owned a boat and hired servants (Mt 4:21; Mr 1:20). Salome his wife ministered to Jesus (Mt 27:55-56; Mr 15:40-41). His disinterestedness and favorable disposition towards Christ appear in his allowing without objection his sons to leave him at Christ's call; Zebedee ("gift of Jehovah") is equivalent in meaning to John (gift or favor of Jehovah); the father naturally giving his son a name similar in meaning to his own. John's acquaintance with Annas the high priest implies the good social position of the family.
In Mt 4:21, at the call of James and John, Zebedee was alive; at Mt 20:20 the peculiar phrase "the mother of Zebedee's children" implies Zebedee was no longer alive, for otherwise she would be called the wife of Zebedee or the mother of James and John. In Mt 8:21 the disciple's request, "Lord, suffer me first to go (home) and (wait until the death of, and) bury my father," may possibly refer to Zebedee; for the name "disciple" was given to but few, and a boat contained all the disciples Mt 9:37; 8:23). If so, it will be an undesigned coincidence marking genuineness (Blunt, Undesigned Coincidences, Part 4).
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Hastings
Father of James and John, husband of Salome; a comparatively rich fisherman, for he had 'hired servants' (see e.g. Mr 1:20; 15:40; cf. Mt 27:56).
A. J. Maclean.
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Morish
Zeb'edee
Father of James and John, two of the apostles of the Lord, but only mentioned as such. Zebedee was probably the husband of Salome (comp. Mt 27:56 with Mr 15:40.) Mt 4:21; 10:2; Mr 1:19-20; Lu 5:10; Joh 21:2; etc.
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Smith
Zeb'edee
(my gift) (Greek form of Zabdi) a fisherman of Galilee, the father of the apostles James the Great and John
and the husband of Salome.
He probably lived either at Bethsaida or in its immediate neighborhood. It has been inferred from the mention of his "hired servants,"
and from the acquaintance between the apostle John and Annas the high priest,
Joh 18:15
that the family of Zebedee were in easy circumstances. comp.
Joh 19:27
although not above manual labor.
He appears only twice in the Gospel narrative, namely, in
where he is seen in his boat with his two sons mending their nets.