Gedaliah גְּדַלְיָ֫הוּ
Son of Pashhur; an official during Zedekiah's reign.
Who is Gedaliah in the Bible?
Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, was an official in the court of King Zedekiah of Judah during the final days of Jerusalem before its fall to Babylon. According to Jeremiah 38:1, he was among several officials who heard the prophet Jeremiah's message that the city would be conquered and that surrender to the Babylonians was the only path to survival. Gedaliah and his fellow officials reported Jeremiah's words to King Zedekiah and urged him to execute the prophet, claiming that Jeremiah's message was demoralizing the soldiers and people of Jerusalem (Jer. 38:4). When the king handed Jeremiah over to them, these officials threw the prophet into a muddy cistern, though he was later rescued by Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch. Gedaliah's role in this account illustrates the political opposition that Jeremiah faced from the royal establishment and demonstrates how those in power rejected God's message of judgment and redemption.
Biography
Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, is mentioned in Jer.38.1 as one of the officials who heard the prophet Jeremiah's message during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. Jeremiah had been prophesying that the Babylonians would conquer Jerusalem and that those who surrendered to them would live, while those who remained in the city would die (Jer.38.2-3). Gedaliah, along with other officials named Jucal, Shephatiah, and Pashhur, reported Jeremiah's words to King Zedekiah and urged the king to put Jeremiah to death, accusing him of discouraging the soldiers and the people (Jer.38.4). Zedekiah handed Jeremiah over to the officials, who lowered him into a cistern, where he sank into the mud (Jer.38.5-6). However, Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, rescued Jeremiah with the king's permission (Jer.38.7-13). Gedaliah's opposition to Jeremiah reflects the political and religious tensions in Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege and the prophet's unpopular message of surrender.
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In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentJeremiah 1 verse
- Jeremiah 38:1
"Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | גְּדַלְיָ֫הוּ |