The name Azubah is borne by two different women in the Bible, both of whom are significant due to their connection to the prominent royal and tribal lineages of Israel and Judah.
The name Azubah ($\text{‘Ăzūbāh}$) is a Hebrew name that means “Forsaken” or “Desolate.” This somber meaning may have been given at birth to reflect difficult times or perhaps held a symbolic spiritual significance.
1. Azubah, Wife of Caleb
The first Azubah is mentioned in the genealogies of the tribe of Judah as the wife of Caleb, the son of Hezron. This Caleb is not the famous spy who explored Canaan, but an earlier ancestor in the tribe. She is listed as an influential mother whose descendants became leaders in their community.
The King James Version introduces her in the context of the tribe of Judah:
And the sons of Hezron, that were born unto him; Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.
And Caleb the son of Hezron begat children of Azubah his wife, and of Jerioth: her sons are these; Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon. (1 Chronicles 2:18)
Significance of the Divorce
A subsequent verse implies that she was later divorced or that she died, and Caleb took another wife.
But Azubah died, and Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur. (1 Chronicles 2:19)
Scholars debate the exact interpretation, but the text makes it clear that Azubah was an ancestral mother for a significant branch of the tribe of Judah, establishing the line from which her son, Hur, would eventually be descended.
2. Azubah, Mother of King Jehoshaphat
A second, more historically prominent Azubah was the mother of Jehoshaphat, one of the most righteous and influential kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Azubah’s role as the Queen Mother was critical. In the Kingdom of Judah, the mother of the king was often identified in the royal records, indicating her importance and influence in the court.
The King James Version records her identification at the start of her son’s reign:
And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.1
Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem2. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. (1 Kings 22:42)
The fact that her son, Jehoshaphat, was known for undertaking major religious reforms, purging idolatry, and promoting justice throughout the land (2 Chronicles 17:3-9) suggests that Azubah, the Queen Mother, likely played a positive role in shaping his faith and character.
Both women named Azubah, despite the possibly unfortunate meaning of their name, are preserved in the scripture as crucial links in the royal and covenant-bearing lineages of Israel.