Zechariah זְכַרְיָהוּ
Post-exilic prophet who wrote the book of Zechariah
Who is Zechariah in the Bible?
Zechariah was a post-exilic prophet and priest who lived in Judah after the Babylonian exile and wrote the book bearing his name (Zechariah 1:1). The son of Berechiah and grandson of the priest Iddo, Zechariah began his prophetic ministry in the second year of King Darius of Persia, around 520 BCE, delivering messages to encourage the Jewish people to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. His prophecies are distinguished by their extensive use of visions and symbolic imagery, drawing comparisons to the books of Daniel and Revelation. As both a prophet and priest, Zechariah provided spiritual leadership during a crucial period of Jewish restoration, and his writings remain theologically significant for their messianic themes and apocalyptic visions that have influenced Christian eschatology for centuries.
Biography
Zechariah was a prophet and priest who lived in Judah after the Babylonian exile. He was the son of Berechiah and grandson of Iddo, a priest who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel. Zechariah began his prophetic ministry in the second year of Darius, king of Persia, delivering messages to encourage the people to rebuild the temple. His prophecies, recorded in the biblical book bearing his name, are known for their rich use of visions and symbolism, similar to the books of Daniel and Revelation. Zechariah's ministry likely extended into the reign of Xerxes I, the king who made Esther queen of Persia. As both a prophet and priest, Zechariah would have had intimate knowledge of Jewish religious practices.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 1 with study contentZechariah 4 verses
- Zechariah 1:1
"In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:"
- Zechariah 1:7
"On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo."
- Zechariah 7:1
"In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Chislev."
- Zechariah 7:8
"Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying,"
Ezra 2 verses
- Ezra 5:1
"Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them."
Study Ezra → - Ezra 6:14
"So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia."
Study Ezra →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | זְכַרְיָהוּ |
| Aramaic | Hebrew | זְכַרְיָה |