Zeruiah

Who is Zeruiah?

Zeruiah, daughter of King Nahash of Ammon and stepdaughter of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah, was an older sister of King David. Zeruiah had three sons, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom were soldiers in David's army.

Very little is told of her. However, her sons are invariably mentioned with the matronymic "son of Zeruiah", in marked contrast to most other Biblical characters who are known by a patronymic. This seems to indicate that she was an exceptionally strong or important woman, though the specific circumstances are not given.

Her name is used—though not very frequently—as a female given name in contemporary Israel.