Seraiah


Seraiah or Sraya is the name of several people mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and a name with other non-biblical uses.

Biblical characters

One of [David]'s scribes or secretaries

See 2 Samuel.

High Priest

Contemporary of Zedekiah. He was later carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, and there put to death

Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth

, one of the officials who survived the defeat and exile of Judea, a Netophathite.

The father of [Joab]

Also son of Kenaz. It is unlikely that this Joab is the son of Tsruiah, King David's sister, because the Seraiah mentioned in the Book of Chronicles was the brother of Othniel, the nephew of Caleb, who lived centuries earlier.,.

The grandfather of [Jehu]

Also father of Joshibiah and son of Asiel.

One of those who returned from exile

Seraiah is listed among those who returned from exile with Zerubbabel in Ezra and. names him as the head of a priestly family.

[Father] or [ancestor] of [Ezra] the scribe

Seraiah is named as the father of Ezra in Ezra's genealogy. Charles Souvay, in the Catholic Encyclopedia, notes that he is often understood "in a broad sense", meaning that Seraiah, the chief priest, spoken of in , was one of Ezra's ancestors.

A ruler of the temple

.

An officer of King [Jehoiakim]

Son of Azriel

[Seraiah ben Neriah]

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 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. 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. is rendered in the Revised Version, "Now Seraiah was chief chamberlain," instead of "was a quiet prince," as in the Authorized Version.

Others