Seraiah

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)

Soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chr. 4:13, 14). (2.) The grandfather of Jehu (1 Chr. 4:35). (3.) One of David’s scribes or secretaries (2 Sam. 8:17). (4.) A Netophathite (Jer. 40:8), a chief priest of the time of Zedekiah. He was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, and there put to death (2 Kings 25:18, 23). (5.) Ezra 2:2. (6.) Father of Ezra the scribe (7:1). (7.) A ruler of the temple (Neh. 11:11). (8.) A priest of the days of Jehoiakim (Neh. 12:1, 12). (9.) The son of Neriah. When Zedekiah made a journey to Babylon to do homage to Nebuchadnezzar, Seraiah had charge of the royal gifts to be presented on that occasion. Jeremiah took advantage of the occasion, and sent with Seraiah a word of cheer to the exiles in Babylon, and an announcement of the doom in store for that guilty city. The roll containing this message (Jer. 50:1-8) Seraiah was to read to the exiles, and then, after fixing a stone to it, was to throw it into the Euphrates, uttering, as it sank, the prayer recorded in Jer. 51:59-64. Babylon was at this time in the height of its glory, the greatest and most powerful monarchy in the world. Scarcely seventy years elapsed when the words of the prophet were all fulfilled. Jer. 51:59 is rendered in the Revised Version, “Now Seraiah was chief chamberlain,” instead of “was a quiet prince,” as in the Authorized Version.

Scripture References

ISBE

se-ra'-ya, se-ri'-a (serayahu, "Yah hath prevailed"; Septuagint Saraias, or Saraia): (1) Secretary of David ( 2Sa 8:17 ); in 2Sa 20:25 he is called Sheva; in 1Ki 4:3 the name appears as Shisha. This last or Shasha would be restored elsewhere by some critics; others prefer the form Shavsha, which is found in 1Ch 18:16 . (2) A high priest in the reign of Zedekiah; executed with other prominent captives at Riblah by order of Nebuchadnezzar ( 2Ki 25:18 , 21 ; Jer 52:24 , 27 ). Mentioned in the list of high priests ( 1Ch 6:14 ). Ezra claims descent from him ( Ezr 7:1 ( 3 )). See AZARAIAS ; SARAIAS . (3) The son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and one of the heroic band of men who saved themselves from the fury of Nebuchadnezzar when he stormed Jerusalem. They repaired to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, but killed him on account of his allegiance to the Chaldeans ( 2Ki 25:23 , 25 ). (4) Son of Kenaz, and younger brother of Othniel, and father of Joab, the chief of Ge-harashim ( 1Ch 4:13 , 14 ). (5) Grandfather of Jehu, of the tribe of Simeon ( 1Ch 4:35 ). (6) A priest, the third in the list of those who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel ( Ezr 2:2 ; Ne 7:7 , here called Azariah; 12:1), and third also (if the same person is meant) in the record of those who sealed the covenant binding all Jews not to take foreign wives ( Ne 10:2 ). As the son of Hilkiah, and consequently a direct descendant of the priestly family, he became governor of the temple when it was rebuilt ( Ne 11:11 ). He is mentioned (under the name Azariah) also in 1Ch 9:11 . Ne 12:2 adds that "in the days of Joiakim" the head of Seraiah's house was Meraiah. (7) Son of Azriel, one of those whom Jehoiakim commanded to imprison Jeremiah and Baruch, the son of Neriah ( Jer 36:26 ). (8) The son of Neriah, who went into exile with Zedekiah. He was also called Sar Menuchah ("prince of repose"). The Targum renders Sar Menuchah by Rabh Tiqrabhta, "prince of battle, and Septuagint by archon doron, "prince of gifts," reading Minchah for Menuchah. At the request of Jeremiah he carried with him in his exile the passages containing the prophet's warning of the fall of Babylon, written in a book which he was bidden to bind to a stone and cast into the Euphrates, to symbolize the fall of Babylon ( Jer 51:59-64 ). Horace J. Wolf