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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

SERAIAH

1. Royal secretary of King David (2 Sm 8:17); alternately called Sheva in 2 Samuel 20:25, Shisha in 1 Kings 4:3, and Shavsha in 1 Chronicles 18:16.

2. Chief priest in Jerusalem at the time of its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. He was taken by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where he was put to death (2 Kgs 25:18; Jer 52:24). First Chronicles 6:14 records Seraiah as the son of Azariah, the father of Jehozadak and a descendant of Levi through Aaron’s line.

3. Son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite and one of the captains of the Judean forces who sought clemency from Nebuchadnezzar under Gedaliah (2 Kgs 25:23; Jer 40:8).

4. Judahite, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Othniel and Joab’s father (1 Chr 4:13-14).

5. Simeonite, the son of Asiel and Joshibiah’s father (1 Chr 4:35).

6. One of the men who returned with Zerubbabel to Judah following the exile (Ezr 2:2); called Azariah in Nehemiah 7:7. See Azariah #23.

7. Father of Ezra the scribe. Ezra returned to Jerusalem during the reign of King Artaxerxes I of Persia (464–424 BC; Ezr 7:1). He is perhaps identical with #2 above, in which case Jehozadak would be Ezra’s brother.

8. One of the priests who set his seal on the covenant of Ezra (Neh 10:2).

9. Son of Hilkiah and a priest living in Jerusalem during the postexilic era (Neh 11:11); called Azariah in 1 Chronicles 9:11. See Azariah #10.

10. One of the leaders of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua to Judah after the exile (Neh 12:1). His house in the next generation was headed by Meraiah. He is perhaps identical with #6 above.

11. Son of Azriel who, with Jerahmeel and Shelemiah, was ordered by King Jehoiakim of Judah (609–598 BC) to capture Baruch and Jeremiah (Jer 36:26).

12. Son of Neriah and the official who accompanied King Zedekiah of Judah (597–586 BC) to Babylon. Seraiah was to relay Jeremiah’s message against Babylon (Jer 51:59-61).