Zebedee

the father of James and John

Who was Zebedee?

He was the father of James and John. He was with them in the boat while they mended their nets. Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19-20
When Jesus called his sons, they left Zebedee in the boat and went with Jesus. Mark 1:19-20

Occupation: Fisherman; hired men worked in his boat Mark 1:20

What the Bible says

Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19-20

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them.

Mark 1:19-20

¹⁹And going on from thence a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were mending their nets in the ship: ²⁰And forthwith he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship with his hired men, they followed him.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Zebedee

Before Jesus. He fished on the Sea of Galilee with his sons, James and John. Matthew 4:18, 21
Before Jesus. His sons, James and John, were Simon Peter’s fishing partners. Luke 5:10
With Jesus. He was in the boat with his sons, who were mending the nets, when Jesus called them. Matthew 4:21
With Jesus. His sons left him in the boat with the hired men and went with Jesus. Mark 1:20
With Jesus. Jesus chose his two sons as two of the Twelve apostles. He gave them both a name: Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder.” Mark 3:14-17
With Jesus. His wife asked Jesus to seat her sons, one at his right and the other at his left. Matthew 20:20-21
With Jesus. His wife had followed Jesus from Galilee. She was watching from a distance when Jesus was crucified. Matthew 27:55-56
With Jesus. Years later, King Herod had James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, killed by the sword. Acts 12:1-2

Words of Zebedee

The Gospels do not record a single word of his.

The greatest thing that happened to him

He was in the boat on the day Jesus called his sons. Matthew 4:21
His two sons, James and John, were among the Twelve apostles. Matthew 10:2-3

Not to be confused with

Zechariah: Both were fathers of a John. Zebedee, a fisherman, was the father of John the apostle; Zechariah, a priest, was the father of John the Baptist. Matthew 4:21; Luke 1:5, 13

Zebedee in art

What people ask

Who was Zebedee?

A fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, the father of the apostles James and John. Matthew 4:18, 21

What was the name of Zebedee’s wife?

Matthew calls her “the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” Comparing with Mark, her name was very likely Salome. Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Salome”

Did Zebedee follow Jesus?

The Bible does not say. It only tells us that his sons left him in the boat to follow Jesus. Mark 1:20

Was Zebedee rich?

The Bible does not say. It does tell us that hired men worked in his boat. That is why some scholars think he had money. Mark 1:20; Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “St. James the Greater”

What did Jesus answer the sons of Zebedee when their mother asked for the first places?

Jesus told the sons of Zebedee that they did not know what they were asking. Those places are for those for whom the Father has prepared them. Matthew 20:22-23

Why did Jesus call his sons “sons of thunder”?

Mark does not explain it. Some connect it with the day James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on a town in Samaria; that is an interpretation. Mark 3:17; Luke 9:52-54

Daily life He was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He was in the boat with his sons, who were mending the nets. Matthew 4:18, 21 Hired men also…

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Who Zebedee is connected to

James, son of Zebedee · father and son
John the Apostle · father and son

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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