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Original Word:צְרוּיָה
Part of Speech:Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration:Tsruwyah
Pronunciation:tse-roo-YAH
Phonetic Spelling:(tser-oo-yaw')
KJV: Zeruiah
NASB:Zeruiah
Word Origin:[feminine passive participle from the same asH6875 (צְּרִי צֳּרִי - balm)]

1. wounded
2. Tserujah, an Israelitess

Zeruiah

Feminine passive participle from the same astsriy; wounded; Tserujah, an Israelitess -- Zeruiah.

see HEBREWtsriy

Word Origin
from the same astsori
Definition
an Isr. woman
NASB Translation
Zeruiah (26).

: mother of Abishai, Joab and Asahel; —1 Samuel 26:6 +,2 Samuel 14:1;2 Samuel 16:10;2 Samuel 23:37; — according to1 Chronicles 2:16 a she was David's sister; called2 Samuel 17:25; elsewhere after construct (): of Abishai1 Samuel 26:6;2 Samuel 16:9;2 Samuel 18:2;2 Samuel 19:22;2 Samuel 21:17;1 Chronicles 18:12; of Joab2 Samuel 2:13;2 Samuel 8:16 =1 Chronicles 18:15;2 Samuel 14:1;2 Samuel 23:18 and2 Samuel 23:37 =1 Chronicles 11:39;1 Kings 1:7;1 Kings 2:5,22;1 Chronicles 11:6;1 Chronicles 26:28;1 Chronicles 27:24; plural of all three2 Samuel 2:18;1 Chronicles 2:16; Abishai and Joab2 Samuel 3:39;2 Samuel 16:10;2 Samuel 19:23.

Identity and Genealogy

Zeruiah appears exclusively in the historical books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. She is the sister of David (1 Chronicles 2:16–17) and the mother of three of his most prominent field commanders—Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Nothing is said of her husband, but Scripture repeatedly identifies her sons by her name (“son of Zeruiah”) rather than by their father’s, underscoring her personal prominence in the narrative.

Distribution of References (approximately twenty-six)

Zeruiah’s name is found once in 1 Samuel, eighteen times in 2 Samuel, three times in 1 Kings, and four times in 1 Chronicles. Every occurrence is tied to her sons’ exploits or David’s interaction with them.

Zeruiah and David’s Family Network

The books of Samuel frequently contrast David’s gracious leadership with the forceful instincts of the “sons of Zeruiah.” David’s repeated phrase, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?” (2 Samuel 16:10;2 Samuel 19:22), signals an ongoing tension between royal mercy and raw military pragmatism. Zeruiah’s household, therefore, becomes a literary foil highlighting David’s commitment to covenant principles over personal vengeance.

Military Influence through Her Sons

1. Asahel’s swiftness and death (2 Samuel 2:18–23) introduce the hard realities of civil war.
2. Abishai’s courage is first noted when he volunteers to accompany David into Saul’s camp: “Who will go down with me to the camp of Saul?” (1 Samuel 26:6).
3. Joab, chief of the army (2 Samuel 8:16), executes politically sensitive tasks—sometimes with brutality that David disavows (2 Samuel 3:39;1 Kings 2:5).

Through these men, Zeruiah’s line shapes nearly every military decision of David’s reign. They rescue the king (2 Samuel 21:17), command divisions (2 Samuel 18:2), and quash rebellions (2 Samuel 20:7–22).

Key Narrative Moments

•2 Samuel 3:39 – David laments that Joab and Abishai are “too strong” for him after Joab murders Abner.
•2 Samuel 16:9–11 – Abishai asks to strike Shimei; David restrains him.
•2 Samuel 18:5 – David orders Joab, Abishai, and Ittai to “deal gently” with Absalom, an order Joab disobeys.
•1 Kings 2:5 – On his deathbed David instructs Solomon concerning Joab’s unchecked bloodguilt.

Each scene stresses the tension between David’s covenant faithfulness and the sons of Zeruiah’s warrior code—a tension traced back to their maternal line.

Theological Reflections

1. Covenant versus Expediency: Zeruiah’s sons often seek immediate justice; David models dependence on the Lord’s timing.
2. Family Influence: Scripture’s persistent identification of these men as “sons of Zeruiah” reminds believers that family heritage can powerfully shape character and reputation.
3. Accountability of Power: Joab’s fate (1 Kings 2:28–34) illustrates that even long-standing service does not shield the powerful from righteous judgment.

Legacy

Zeruiah herself never speaks, yet her name endures as a marker of both valor and volatility. By attaching the military history of Israel’s golden age to a maternal figure, Scripture affirms women’s indirect but potent impact on redemptive history. For students of the Word, Zeruiah’s account urges vigilance over the impulses we bequeath to the next generation and confidence that God’s purposes prevail even through imperfect human instruments.

צְרֻיָ֑ה צְרֻיָֽה׃ צְרוּיָ֑ה צְרוּיָ֔ה צְרוּיָ֖ה צְרוּיָ֗ה צְרוּיָ֜ה צְרוּיָ֣ה צְרוּיָֽה׃ צְרוּיָה֙ צרויה צרויה׃ צריה צריה׃ ṣə·ru·yāh ṣə·rū·yāh ṣəruyāh ṣərūyāh tzeruYahInterlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts

1 Samuel 26:6
HEB:אֲבִישַׁ֨י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֜ה אֲחִ֤י יוֹאָב֙
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah, Joab's
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, brother
INT: Abishai the sonof Zeruiah brother Joab's

2 Samuel 2:13
HEB:וְיוֹאָ֨ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֜ה וְעַבְדֵ֤י דָוִד֙
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah and the servants
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, and the servants
INT: and Joab the sonof Zeruiah and the servants of David

2 Samuel 2:18
HEB:שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ בְּנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֔ה יוֹאָ֥ב וַאֲבִישַׁ֖י
NAS: sonsof Zeruiah were there,
KJV: sonsof Zeruiah there, Joab,
INT: now the three sonsof Zeruiah Joab and Abishai

2 Samuel 3:39
HEB:הָאֵ֛לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י צְרוּיָ֖ה קָשִׁ֣ים מִמֶּ֑נִּי
NAS: the sonsof Zeruiah are too
KJV: the sonsof Zeruiah [be] too hard
INT: and these the sonsof Zeruiah difficult are too

2 Samuel 8:16
HEB:וְיוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֖ה עַל־ הַצָּבָ֑א
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah [was] over
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah [was] over the host;
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah over the army

2 Samuel 14:1
HEB:יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־ צְרֻיָ֑ה כִּֽי־ לֵ֥ב
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah perceived
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah perceived
INT: now Joab the sonof Zeruiah for heart

2 Samuel 16:9
HEB:אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָה֙ אֶל־ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah said
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah unto the king,
INT: Abishai the sonof Zeruiah to the king

2 Samuel 16:10
HEB:וְלָכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י צְרֻיָ֑ה [כִּי כ]
NAS: have I to do with you, O sonsof Zeruiah? If
KJV: What have I to do with you, ye sonsof Zeruiah? so let him curse,
INT: What sonsZeruiah for curses

2 Samuel 17:25
HEB:נָחָ֔שׁ אֲח֥וֹת צְרוּיָ֖ה אֵ֥ם יוֹאָֽב׃
NAS: sisterof Zeruiah, Joab's
KJV: sisterto Zeruiah Joab's
INT: of Nahash sisterof Zeruiah mother Joab's

2 Samuel 18:2
HEB:אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָה֙ אֲחִ֣י יוֹאָ֔ב
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah, Joab's
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, Joab's
INT: of Abishai the sonof Zeruiah brother Joab's

2 Samuel 19:21
HEB:אֲבִישַׁ֤י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר הֲתַ֣חַת
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah said,
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah answered
INT: Abishai the sonof Zeruiah said Thahash

2 Samuel 19:22
HEB:וְלָכֶם֙ בְּנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֔ה כִּי־ תִֽהְיוּ־
NAS: have I to do with you, O sonsof Zeruiah, that you should this day
KJV: What have I to do with you, ye sonsof Zeruiah, that ye should this day
INT: What sonsof Zeruiah for become

2 Samuel 21:17
HEB:אֲבִישַׁ֣י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֔ה וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah helped
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah succoured
INT: Abishai the sonof Zeruiah and struck the Philistine

2 Samuel 23:18
HEB:יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֗ה ה֚וּא רֹ֣אשׁ
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah, was chief
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, was chief
INT: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah he was chief

2 Samuel 23:37
HEB:יוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרֻיָֽה׃ ס
NAS: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah,
KJV: to Joab the sonof Zeruiah,
INT: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah

1 Kings 1:7
HEB:יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֔ה וְעִ֖ם אֶבְיָתָ֣ר
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah and with Abiathar
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, and with Abiathar
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah and with Abiathar

1 Kings 2:5
HEB:יוֹאָ֣ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֣ה
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah did
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah did
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah what did

1 Kings 2:22
HEB:וּלְיוֹאָ֖ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָֽה׃ פ
NAS: and for Joab the sonof Zeruiah!
KJV: and for Joab the sonof Zeruiah.
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah

1 Chronicles 2:16
HEB:(וְאַחְיֹותֵיהֶ֖ם ק) צְרוּיָ֣ה וַאֲבִיגָ֑יִל וּבְנֵ֣י
NAS: and their sisters[were] Zeruiah and Abigail.
KJV: Whose sisters[were] Zeruiah, and Abigail.
INT: otherZeruiah and Abigail sons

1 Chronicles 2:16
HEB:וַאֲבִיגָ֑יִל וּבְנֵ֣י צְרוּיָ֗ה אַבְשַׁ֛י וְיוֹאָ֥ב
NAS: sonsof Zeruiah [were] Abshai,
KJV: And the sonsof Zeruiah; Abishai,
INT: and Abigail sonsof Zeruiah Abshai Joab

1 Chronicles 11:6
HEB:יוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֖ה וַיְהִ֥י לְרֹֽאשׁ׃
NAS: Joab the sonof Zeruiah went up first,
KJV: So Joab the sonof Zeruiah went first
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah became chief

1 Chronicles 11:39
HEB:יוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָֽה׃ ס
NAS: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah,
KJV: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah,
INT: of Joab the sonof Zeruiah

1 Chronicles 18:12
HEB:וְאַבְשַׁ֣י בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֗ה הִכָּ֤ה אֶת־
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah defeated
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah slew
INT: Abishai the sonof Zeruiah slew of the Edomites

1 Chronicles 18:15
HEB:וְיוֹאָ֥ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֖ה עַל־ הַצָּבָ֑א
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah [was] over
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah [was] over the host;
INT: Joab the sonof Zeruiah over the army

1 Chronicles 26:28
HEB:וְיוֹאָ֖ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָ֑ה כֹּ֚ל הַמַּקְדִּ֔ישׁ
NAS: the sonof Zeruiah, everyone
KJV: the sonof Zeruiah, had dedicated;
INT: and Joab the sonof Zeruiah everyone had dedicated

26 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6870
26 Occurrences

ṣə·rū·yāh — 26 Occ.