Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SERAIAH

(Heb. śĕrāyâ, śĕrāyāhû)
(also AZARIAH, SHAVSHA, SHEVA, SHISHA)

1. The royal secretary during the reign of King David (2 Sam. 8:17). In the other lists of David’s state officials he is called Sheva (1; 2 Sam. 20:25) and Shavsha (1 Chr. 18:16). In the list of Solomon’s administration, under whom his two sons served, he is called Shisha (1 Kgs. 4:3).

2. The chief priest, a descendant of Zadok, who served in the temple of Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city in 587/586 b.c.e. Along with other officials of the city, he was executed before Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (2 Kgs. 25:18-21 = Jer. 52:24-27). Ezra is called the son of Seraiah (Ezra 7:1), but this must refer to his lineage rather than his actual parentage.

3. The son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite; one of the Judean commanders who had eluded Nebuchadnezzar’s army. He and his troops submitted to Gedaliah at Mizpah with assurances of being treated well. He fled to Egypt when Gedaliah was murdered (2 Kgs. 25:23-24; Jer. 40:7-9).

4. The son of Kenaz, brother of Othniel, and father of Joab of the tribe of Judah (1 Chr. 4:13-14).

5. A prince of a Simeonite clan; the son of Asiel, father of Joshibiah, and grandfather of Jehu (1 Chr. 4:35).

6. One of the exiles who returned from Babylon to Judah with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2). He is called Azariah (23) in Neh. 7:7.

7. A priest who sealed the covenant to support the temple during the administration of Nehemiah (Neh. 10:2[MT 3]).

8. A postexilic priest (Neh. 11:11). A similar list of priests reads Azariah instead of Seraiah (1 Chr. 9:11).

9. One of the “chiefs of the priests” who came up with Zerubbabel from Babylon (Neh. 12:1). During the days of Joiakim, the son and successor of Jeshua, Meraiah was the head of the priestly house of Seraiah (Neh. 12:12).

10. An official of King Jehoiakim; the son of Azriel. Jehoiakim sent Seraiah, along with Jerahmeel and Shelemiah, to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah, but both escaped (Jer. 36:26).

11. The son of Neriah, brother of Baruch; quartermaster under King Zedekiah. He went with Zedekiah to Babylon during the fourth year of his reign (594/593 b.c.e.; Jer. 51:59-64). A seal impression reading “Belonging to Seraiah, (son of) Neriah” has been found in Jerusalem.

Ronald A. Simkins

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SERAIAH

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)