Man living at the time of the New Testament
Zebedee was the father of James and John, two of Jesus' twelve apostles, and was a fisherman by trade.
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Zebedee was a fisherman from Galilee and the father of two of Jesus' disciples, James and John. He worked alongside his sons in the fishing business and was present when Jesus called them to follow Him. His wife was Salome, according to hints at Matt 27.56 with Mrk.15.40. Zebedee's wife, the mother of James and John, is mentioned as one of the women who followed Jesus and supported His ministry. She also made a bold request for her sons to sit at Jesus' right and left hand in His kingdom, revealing her high aspirations for them. Zebedee is not mentioned as a follower of Jesus himself, but he did not hinder his sons from leaving their fishing trade to become disciples. The fact that Zebedee had hired servants suggests that he ran a successful fishing operation. His sons, James and John, along with Peter, formed Jesus' inner circle of disciples and were present at significant events such as the Transfiguration and Jesus' prayers in Gethsemane.
Part of: Bethany and the Women Around Jesus · The Jerusalem Church · The Twelve Apostles · Jesus and His Family Circle
Matthew's list at the cross includes "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" where Mark has Salome, so the two are generally taken as the same woman. She asked Jesus for places for her sons.
Sources: Scripture
Luke calls James and John partners of Simon in the fishing business, and Mark says Zebedee had hired servants. Peter and John then appear together in Acts 3-4 and 8:14 and as two of the three "pillars".
Sources: Scripture
Matthew says James son of Zebedee and John his brother were in the boat with their father Zebedee.
Sources: Matthew 4:21 · Mark 3:17
Matthew names "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" among the women at the cross where Mark names Salome. Most readers equate the two, making Salome Zebedee's wife; the name Salome itself is never said to belong to her in Matthew.
Sources: Matthew 27:56 · Mark 15:40
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A Galilean fisherman, the husband of Salome (q.v.), and the father of James and John, two of our Lord’s disciples (Matt. 4:21; 27:56; Mark 15:40). He seems to have been a man of some position in Capernaum, for he had two boats (Luke 5:4) and “hired servants” (Mark 1:20) of his own. No mention is made of him after the call of his two sons by Jesus.
(my gift) (Greek form of Zabdi) a fisherman of Galilee, the father of the apostles James the Great and John (Matthew 4:21) and the husband of Salome. (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40) He probably lived either at Bethsaida or in its immediate neighborhood. It has been inferred from the mention of his “hired servants,” (Mark 1:20) and from the acquaintance between the apostle John and Annas the high priest, (John 18:15) that the family of Zebedee were in easy circumstances. comp. (John 19:27) although not above manual labor. (Matthew 4:21) He appears only twice in the Gospel narrative, namely, in (Matthew 4:21,22; Mark 1:19,20) where he is seen in his boat with his two sons mending their nets.
ZEB'EDEE (Jehovah's gift), the husband of Salome, Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40, and father of the apostles James the Great and John, Matt 4:21; lived as a fisherman in or near Bethsaida. When his two sons left him to follow Jesus, he made no objections. Matt 4:21-22; Mark 1:19-20, and his wife was one of the women who were in constant attendance on our Saviour, but he himself is not mentioned as being among the disciples, although doubtless friendly to Christ.
ZEB'EDEE (Jehovah's gift), the husband of Salome, Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40, and father of the apostles James the Great and John, Matt 4:21; lived as a fisherman in or near Bethsaida. When his two sons left him to follow Jesus, he made no objections. Matt 4:21-22; Mark 1:19-20, and his wife was one of the women who were in constant attendance on our Saviour, but he himself is not mentioned as being among the disciples, although doubtless friendly to Christ.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
11 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G2199
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Then the mother of Zebedeeʼs sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.
He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedeeʼs sons.
Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.