Sharezer שַׁרְאֶ֫צֶר

Who is Sharezer in the Bible?

Sharezer was a delegate sent by the people of Bethel to inquire about fasting practices at the house of God, as recorded in Zechariah 7:2. He was part of a delegation that included Regem-melech and his men, who came to ask the priests and prophets whether they should continue their traditional fasting and mourning in the fifth month, a practice they had observed for many years in commemoration of the temple's destruction. The prophet Zechariah responded to their inquiry by redirecting their focus from external ritual observance to internal righteousness, emphasizing that true repentance, justice, and compassion matter far more than ceremonial fasting. Though little is known about Sharezer himself, his role in this account illustrates the post-exilic community's struggle to understand what authentic worship and obedience to God should look like after the temple's restoration.