Seraiah(shavsha)
“Yahweh has prevailed”
Summary
A name meaning 'Yahweh has prevailed' borne by at least ten men in the Old Testament, including David's secretary and the last high priest before the Babylonian exile.
☩David's Secretary
A Seraiah served as David's royal scribe or secretary around 1015 BC. His name appears in variant forms in different passages—Sheva, Shisha, and Shavsha—which may reflect different pronunciations or scribal variations of the same name. As royal secretary, he held one of the most important offices in the kingdom, responsible for official correspondence and records.
☩High Priest Under Zedekiah
The most prominent Seraiah was the high priest when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 588 BC. After the city's capture, he was taken prisoner to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah and executed along with other leaders. He was the father of Jehozadak, whose son Jeshua would later become high priest during the restoration, and the ancestor of Ezra the scribe.
☩Quartermaster Under Zedekiah
Another Seraiah, son of Neriah and brother of Baruch the scribe, held the office of 'sar menuchah'—variously translated as 'quiet prince,' 'chief chamberlain,' or 'quartermaster-general.' He accompanied King Zedekiah to Babylon in 594 BC, perhaps to assure Nebuchadnezzar of continued loyalty. Jeremiah entrusted him with a scroll prophesying Babylon's destruction, which he was to read aloud and then sink in the Euphrates as a symbolic act.
☩Other Bearers
The name was common in Israel. Other notable Seraiahs include: the son of Kenaz and father of Joab; an ancestor of Jehu among the Simeonites; a captain who came to Gedaliah after Jerusalem's fall; a priest who returned from exile with Zerubbabel; and the son of Azriel who was ordered to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch.
Related Verses20 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Seraiah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Seraiah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Seraiah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).