Nitzevet

Nitzevet (Nzb'th) was an Israelite woman who was the mother of David according to the Talmud,^[1] but she is not named in the Bible. She was an ancestor of the Kings of Judah.

Family

A depiction of David with a harp from the 11th century, the Gospel Book in National and University Library in Zagreb

Nitzevet’s father was named Adael or Edal.^[2] She married a man called Jesse the Bethlehemite and their children were:

• Eliab, who was very tall
• Abinadab ^[3]
• Shimma
• Nethaneel
• Raddai
• Ozem ("strong")
• David, father of:
  • Solomon
• Zeruiah, mother of:
  • Abishai
  • Joab
  • Asahel, all of whom were soldiers
• Abigail ^[4]

In the Bible

Although David’s mother is not named in the Bible, she is still mentioned there with her husband: when David was worried about the safety of his parents, he went to Mizpah in Moab to ask permission from the king to allow his father and mother to stay under the royal protection of the king:

And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.^[5]

They stayed there until David's fortunes took a turn for the better.^[6]

Psalm 86:16, attributed to David, refers to the writer's mother:

Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.^[7]

References