Shelemiah שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ
Father of Irijah, who arrested Jeremiah
Who is Shelemiah in the Bible?
Shelemiah was the father of Irijah, a guard stationed at the Benjamin Gate in Jerusalem during King Zedekiah's reign. When the prophet Jeremiah attempted to leave the city to travel to the land of Benjamin, Irijah arrested him on suspicion of deserting to the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 37:13). Though Shelemiah himself does not appear directly in the biblical narrative beyond being identified as Irijah's father, his son played a significant role in one of the most difficult periods of Jeremiah's ministry, as the arrest led to Jeremiah's beating and imprisonment by the king's officials. Shelemiah's mention underscores how ordinary citizens were caught up in the turbulent political and spiritual conflicts of Jerusalem's final days before its fall to Babylon.
Biography
Shelemiah was the father of Irijah, a guard at the Benjamin Gate in Jerusalem during the reign of King Zedekiah. When Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, Irijah arrested him, accusing him of deserting to the Chaldeans (Jer.37.13). Irijah brought Jeremiah to the officials, who beat him and imprisoned him. Shelemiah is mentioned only as Irijah's father and is not recorded as having any other role in the events.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentJeremiah 1 verse
- Jeremiah 37:13
"But when he reached the Gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, seized him and said, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans!”"
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ |