Delaiah דְּלָיָ֫הוּ
Official during King Jehoiakim's reign
Who is Delaiah in the Bible?
Delaiah, son of Shemaiah, was an official in the court of King Jehoiakim of Judah during the late seventh century BC. He is mentioned in Jeremiah 36 as one of the palace officials who heard Baruch read the prophet Jeremiah's scroll (Jeremiah 36:12, 25). When King Jehoiakim learned of the scroll's contents, he burned it piece by piece with a scribe's knife, and Delaiah was among the officials who urged the king not to destroy it, though their pleas went unheeded (Jeremiah 36:25). Delaiah's presence in this account illustrates the divided opinions among Judah's leadership regarding God's word, with some officials recognizing the importance of Jeremiah's prophetic message even as their king rejected it.
Biography
Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah, is mentioned in Jeremiah 36 as one of the officials present when Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, read the prophet's scroll in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. This event took place during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah.
After hearing the words of Jeremiah's scroll, Micaiah, the son of Gemariah, went to the king's house and reported the message to all the officials, including Delaiah (Jer.36.11-13). The officials then sent for Baruch and had him read the scroll to them. Alarmed by the message, they decided to report it to the king (Jer.36.14-16).
King Jehoiakim, after hearing a portion of the scroll, cut it with a scribe's knife and burned it in the fire, despite the pleas of some officials, including Delaiah, not to do so (Jer.36.25). This action demonstrated the king's rejection of God's word and his defiance against the prophetic message.
Delaiah's presence among the officials and his attempt to prevent the king from burning the scroll suggest that he had some level of influence in the royal court and that he recognized the significance of Jeremiah's message. However, his efforts, along with those of other officials, were unsuccessful in changing the king's response.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentJeremiah 2 verses
- Jeremiah 36:12
"he went down to the scribe’s chamber in the king’s palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the scribe, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials."
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 36:25
"Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them."
Study Jeremiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | דְּלָיָ֫הוּ |