Officer under Gedaliah, son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite
Seraiah
Named in 2 verses across 2 books, first in 2 Kings 25:23.
שְׂרָיָהוּSeraiah
The name means “prince of the Lord.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869
- Father
- Tanhumeth
- People
- Tribe of Judah(?)
About Seraiah Written by AI
Seraiah, mentioned in 2 Kings 25:23 and Jeremiah 40:8, was an officer who served under Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonians over Judah after the fall of Jerusalem. He was the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, indicating his origin from Netophah, a town in Judah. After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and exiled many of its inhabitants, they appointed Gedaliah as the governor to oversee the remaining people in the land. Seraiah, along with other officers and their men, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and pledged their allegiance to him. However, Gedaliah was later assassinated by Ishmael, a member of the royal family, leading to further unrest and instability in the region.
Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.
Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897
This entry is on the name Seraiah, and may cover more than one person or place by that name.
Soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chr. 4:13, 14).
(2.) The grandfather of Jehu (1 Chr. 4:35).
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(3.) One of David’s scribes or secretaries (2 Sam. 8:17).
(4.) A Netophathite (Jer. 40:8), a chief priest of the time of Zedekiah. He was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, and there put to death (2 Kings 25:18, 23).
(5.) Ezra 2:2.
(6.) Father of Ezra the scribe (7:1).
(7.) A ruler of the temple (Neh. 11:11).
(8.) A priest of the days of Jehoiakim (Neh. 12:1, 12).
(9.) The son of Neriah. When Zedekiah made a journey to Babylon to do homage to Nebuchadnezzar, Seraiah had charge of the royal gifts to be presented on that occasion. Jeremiah took advantage of the occasion, and sent with Seraiah a word of cheer to the exiles in Babylon, and an announcement of the doom in store for that guilty city. The roll containing this message (Jer. 50:1-8) Seraiah was to read to the exiles, and then, after fixing a stone to it, was to throw it into the Euphrates, uttering, as it sank, the prayer recorded in Jer. 51:59-64. Babylon was at this time in the height of its glory, the greatest and most powerful monarchy in the world. Scarcely seventy years elapsed when the words of the prophet were all fulfilled. Jer. 51:59 is rendered in the Revised Version, “Now Seraiah was chief chamberlain,” instead of “was a quiet prince,” as in the Authorized Version.
M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, third edition (1897), public domain, from CrossWire. Shown as written; its Scripture quotes are from older translations.
Where the Bible names him
- 2 Kings 25:23
When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
- Jeremiah 40:8
they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.