Zechariah

Smith's Bible Dictionary

 
Zechariah.

1. The eleventh, in order, of the twelve minor prophets. He is called, in his prophecy, the son of Berechiah and the grandson of Iddo, whereas, in the book of Ezra, Ezr_5:1; Ezr_6:14, he is said to have been, the son of Iddo. It is natural to suppose as the prophet himself mentions his father's name, whereas the book of Ezra mentions only Iddo, that Berechiah had died early, and that there was now no intervening link between the grandfather and the grandson.

Zechariah, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel before him, was priest as well as prophet. He seems to have entered upon his office while yet young, Zec_2:4, and must have been born in Babylon, whence, he returned with the first caravan of exiles under Zerubbabel and Jeshua.

It was in the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, that he first publicly discharged his office. In this, he acted in concert with Haggai. Both prophets had the same great object before them; both directed all their energies to the building of the second Temple. To their influence, we find the rebuilding of the Temple in a great measure ascribed. If the later Jewish accounts may be trusted, Zechariah, as well as Haggai, was a member of the Great Synagogue.

The genuine writings of Zechariah help us but little in our estimate of his character. Some faint traces, however, we may observe in them, of his education in Babylon. He leans avowedly on the authority of the older prophets, and copies their expressions. Jeremiah especially seems to have been his favorite; and hence, the Jewish saying that "the spirit of Jeremiah dwelt in Zechariah." But in what may be called the peculiarities of his prophecy, he approaches more nearly to Ezekiel and Daniel. Like them, he delights in visions; like them, he uses symbols and allegories rather than the bold figures and metaphors which lend so much force and beauty to the writings of the earlier prophets. Generally speaking, Zechariah's style is pure, and remarkably free from Chaldaisms.

2. Son of Meshelemiah or Shelemiah, a Korhite, and keeper of the north gate of the Tabernacle of the congregation, 1Ch_9:21. (B.C. 1043).

3. One of the sons of Jehiel. 1Ch_9:37.

4. A Levite of the second order in the Temple band as arranged by David, appointed to play "with psalteries on Alamoth." 1Ch_15:18; 1Ch_15:20. (B.C. 1043).

5. One of the princes of Judah, in the reign of Jehoshaphat. 2Ch_17:7. (B.C. 910).

6. Son of the high priest Jehoiada, in the reign of Joash, king of Judah, 2Ch_24:20, and therefore , the king's cousin. After the death of Jehoiada, Zechariah probably succeeded to his office, and in attempting to check the reaction in favor of idolatry which immediately followed, he fell a victim to a conspiracy formed against him, by the king, and was stoned in the court of the Temple. He is probably the same as the "Zacharias son of Barachias" who was slain between the Temple and the altar. Mat_23:35. (B.C. 838).

7. A Kohathite Levite, in the reign of Josiah. 2Ch_34:12. (B.C. 628).

8. The leader of the sons of Pharosh, who returned with Ezra. Ezr_8:3. (B.C. 450).

9. Son of Behai. Ezr_8:11.

10. One of the chiefs of the people whom Ezra summoned in council at the river Ahava. Ezr_8:16. He stood at Ezra's left hand when he expounded the law to the people. Neh_8:4. (B.C. 459).

11. One of the family of Elam who had married a foreign wife after the captivity. Ezr_10:26. (B.C.458).

12. Ancestor of Athaiah or Uthai. Neh_11:4.

13. A Shilonite, descendant of Perez. Neh_11:5.

14. A priest, son of Pashur. Neh_11:12.

15. The representative of the priestly family of Iddo, in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua. Neh_12:16. (B.C. 536). Possibly the same as Zechariah the prophet, the son of Iddo.

16. One of the priests, son of Jonathan, who blew with the trumpets at the dedication of the city wall by Ezra and Nehemiah. Neh_12:36; Neh_12:41. (B.C. 446).

17. A chief of the Reubenites, at the time of the captivity by Tiglath-pileser. 1Ch_5:7. (B.C. 740).

18. One of the priests who accompanied the Ark from the house of Obed-edom. 1Ch_15:24. (B.C. 1043).

19. Son of Isshiah or Jesiah, a Kohathite Levite, descended from Uzziel. 1Ch_24:25. (B.C. 1043).

20. Fourth son of Hosah, of the children of Merari. 1Ch_26:11.

21. A Manassite. 1Ch_27:21-22.

22. The father of Jahaziel. 2Ch_20:14.

23. One of the sons of Jehoshaphat. 2Ch_21:2.

24. A prophet in the reign of Uzziah, who appears to have acted as the king's counsellor, but of whom nothing is known. 2Ch_26:5. (B.C. 807).

25. The father of Abijah or Abi, Hezekiah's mother. 2Ch_29:1.

26. One of the family of Asaph, in the reign of Hezekiah. 2Ch_29:13. (B.C. 727).

27. One of the rulers of the Temple, in the reign of Josiah. 2Ch_35:8. (B.C. 628).

28. The son of Jeberechiah, who was taken by the prophet Isaiah as one of the "faithful witnesses to record," when he wrote concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Isa_8:2. (B.C. 723). He may have been the Levite of the same name who, in the reign of Hezekiah, assisted in the purification of the Temple. 2Ch_29:13. Another conjecture is that he is the same as Zechariah, the father of Abijah, the queen of Ahaz.

 
Taken from: Smith's Bible Dictionary by Dr. William Smith (1884)