Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zelah Slope; side, a town in Benjamin, where Saul and his son Jonathan were buried (Sa2 21:14). It was probably Saul's birthplace.

Zelek Cleft, an Ammonite; one of David's valiant men (Sa2 23:37).

Zelophehad First-born, of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead; died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his daughters, concerned lest their father's name should be "done away from among his family," made an appeal to Moses, who, by divine direction, appointed it as "a statute of judgment" in Israel that daughters should inherit their father's portion when no sons were left (Num 27:1). But that the possession of Zelophehad might not pass away in the year of jubilee from the tribe to which he belonged, it was ordained by Moses that his daughters should not marry any one out of their father's tribe; and this afterwards became a general law (Num 36:1).

Zelotes (Luk 6:15). See SIMON; ZEALOTS.

Zemaraim (1.) A town of Benjamin (Jos 18:22); now the ruin, rather two ruins, es-Sumrah, 4 miles north of Jericho. (2.) A mount in the highlands of Ephraim, to the north of Jerusalem (2 Chr. 13:4-20). Here the armies of Abijah and Jeroboam engaged in a bloody battle, which issued in the total defeat of the king of Israel, who never "recovered strength again," and soon after died.

Zemarite The designation of one of the Phoenician tribes (Gen 10:18) who inhabited the town of Sumra, at the western base of the Lebanon range. In the Amarna tablets (1400 B.C.) Zemar, or Zumur, was one of the most important of the Phoenician cities, but it afterwards almost disappears from history.

Zemira Vine-dresser, a Benjamite; one of the sons of Becher (Ch1 7:8).

Zenas A disciple called "the lawyer," whom Paul wished Titus to bring with him (Tit 3:13). Nothing more is known of him.

Zephaniah Jehovah has concealed, or Jehovah of darkness. (1.) The son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, and the ninth in the order of the minor prophets. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (641-610 B.C.), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The book of his prophecies consists of: (a) An introduction (Zep 1:1), announcing the judgment of the world, and the judgment upon Israel, because of their transgressions. (b) The description of the judgment (Zep 1:7). (c) An exhortation to seek God while there is still time (Zep 2:1). (d) The announcement of judgment on the heathen (Zep 2:4). (e) The hopeless misery of Jerusalem (Zep 3:1). (f) The promise of salvation (Zep 3:8). (2.) The son of Maaseiah, the "second priest" in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned in Jeremiah as having been sent from the king to inquire (Jer 21:1) regarding the coming woes which he had denounced, and to entreat the prophet's intercession that the judgment threatened might be averted (Jer 29:25, Jer 29:26, Jer 29:29; Jer 37:3; Jer 52:24). He, along with some other captive Jews, was put to death by the king of Babylon "at Riblah in the land of Hamath" (Kg2 25:21). (3.) A Kohathite ancestor of the prophet Samuel (Ch1 6:36). (4.) The father of Josiah, the priest who dwelt in Jerusalem when Darius issued the decree that the temple should be rebuilt (Zac 6:10).

Zephath Beacon; watch-tower, a Canaanite town; called also Hormah (q.v.), Jdg 1:17. It has been identified with the pass of es-Sufah , but with greater probability with S'beita .