Zechariah זְכַרְיָהוּ
Priest murdered in the temple court
Who is Zechariah in the Bible?
Zechariah was a priest and son of Jehoiada who served during the reign of King Joash of Judah (2 Chronicles 24:20). After his father's death, Zechariah boldly confronted the king and people for abandoning God's house, speaking with the authority of God's Spirit. Despite his faithful witness, Joash ordered the people to stone Zechariah to death in the temple court, making him a martyr for his prophetic faithfulness. Jesus later referenced Zechariah's murder as a significant example of how the prophets were persecuted throughout Israel's history, underscoring his importance as a witness to God's truth who paid the ultimate price for his obedience.
Biography
Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada the priest during the reign of Joash, king of Judah. After the death of Jehoiada, Joash listened to the princes of Judah and they abandoned the house of the Lord. Zechariah was filled with the Spirit of God and stood above the people, admonishing them for forsaking God. However, the people conspired against Zechariah and, at the king's command, stoned him to death in the court of the temple. Jesus later references the murder of Zechariah, son of Berechiah (likely referring to Jehoiada), as an example of the persecution of the prophets.
Family
In Scripture
3 biblical books ; 2 with study content2 Chronicles 1 verse
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
"Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken..."
Matthew 1 verse
- Matthew 23:35
"And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar."
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Luke 1 verse
- Luke 11:51
"from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | זְכַרְיָהוּ | — | — |
| Greek | Greek | Ζαχαρίας | Zacharías | Zacharias (i.e. Zechariah), the name of two Israelites |