Lexical Summary
Zkaryah: Zechariah
Original Word:זְכַרְיָה
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Zkaryah
Pronunciation:zeh-kahr-YAH
Phonetic Spelling:(zek-ar-yaw')
KJV: Zachariah, Zechariah
Word Origin:[fromH2142 (זָכַר - remember) andH3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]
1. Jah has remembered
2. Zecarjah, the name of twenty-nine Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Zachariah, Zechariah
Or Zkaryahuw {zek-ar-yaw'-hoo}; fromzakar andYahh; Jah has remembered; Zecarjah, the name of twenty-nine Israelites -- Zachariah, Zechariah.
see HEBREWzakar
see HEBREWYahh
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, oftener (Sabean DHM
Epigr. Denkm. 43) (), etc.: —
, king of Israel, son of Jeroboam II,2 Kings 15:8 =2 Kings 14:29;2 Kings 15:11.
, father of Hezekiah's mother 2 Chronicles 29:1 =2 Kings 18:2.
, contemporary of IsaiahIsaiah 8:2.
, a Reubenite1 Chronicles 5:7.
, a Benjamite1 Chronicles 9:37 ( , AL ) =1 Chronicles 8:31 (see [I. ]).
, a Manassite1 Chronicles 27:21 ( ,L ).
, a son of Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 21:2.
, a captain of Jehosh. 2 Chronicles 17:7.
, teacher of Uzziah 2 Chronicles 26:5.
, :
1 Chronicles 15:18 =1 Chronicles 15:20,1 Chronicles 16:5.
1 Chronicles 24:25.
1 Chronicles 26:2,14.
1 Chronicles 26:11.
2Chronicles 20:14.
2Chronicles 29:13 ( , A , soL). :
1 Chronicles 9:21.
2Chronicles 34:12.
Nehemiah 12:35.
, :
1 Chronicles 15:24
2Chronicles 35:8. :
2Chronicles 24:20 ( ;L ; probably referred to Matthew 23:35, where apparently confusion with ).
Nehemiah 11:12.
Nehemiah 12:41.
Zechariah 1:1,7;Zechariah 7:1,8;Nehemiah 12:16 [compare AramaicEzra 5:1;Ezra 6:14].
, :
Ezra 8:3 and perhapsEzra 8:16, compareNehemiah 8:4.
Ezra 8:11 ( , A , soL).
Ezra 10:26.
Nehemiah 11:4.
id.Nehemiah 11:5 ( , , A , soL).
(Biblical Hebrewid.),Ezra 5:1;Ezra 6:14.
Topical Lexicon
Name Significance and Thematic EmphasisThe name Zechariah (“Yahweh remembers”) consistently underscores divine faithfulness. With some forty-three occurrences, Scripture uses the name to highlight God’s covenant memory and the call for His people to remember Him.
Major Individuals Bearing the Name
1.Zechariah son of Berechiah, the Post-Exilic Prophet
• Timeframe: 520-518 BC, alongside Haggai (Ezra 5:1; 6:14).
• Ministry Setting: Returned community rebuilding the second temple.
• Central Message: A call to repentance—“Return to Me … and I will return to you” (Zechariah 1:3)—coupled with encouragement that the temple would be completed “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).
• Night Visions: Eight interconnected visions (chapters 1–6) reveal God’s global sovereignty, the cleansing of the priesthood, and the crowning of the Branch.
• Messianic Prophecy:
– Humble King (Zechariah 9:9; fulfilled inMatthew 21:5).
– Pierced One (Zechariah 12:10;John 19:37;Revelation 1:7).
– Stricken Shepherd (Zechariah 13:7;Matthew 26:31).
– Universal Reign (Zechariah 14:9).
• Lasting Impact: Provides the fullest Old Testament bridge from temple restoration to eschatological hope, quoted frequently in the New Testament.
2.Zechariah son of Jehoiada, the Martyred Priest (2 Chronicles 24:20-22)
• Role: Spirit-empowered prophet who confronted King Joash’s apostasy.
• Death: Stoned in the temple court at the king’s command.
• Legacy: His innocent blood became emblematic of rejected prophetic witness; Jesus cites him when indicting Jerusalem (Matthew 23:35).
3.Zechariah son of Jeroboam II, Last King of Jehu’s Dynasty (2 Kings 15:8-12)
• Reign: Six months in Samaria, perpetuating sins of Jeroboam.
• Downfall: Assassinated by Shallum, fulfilling the word that Jehu’s line would last to the fourth generation (2 Kings 10:30).
4.Zechariah the Seer in Uzziah’s Reign (2 Chronicles 26:5)
• Described as one “who instructed him in the fear of God.”
• Uzziah’s prosperity is explicitly tied to heeding this prophet’s counsel.
5.Zechariah in Hezekiah’s Ancestry (2 Chronicles 29:1)
• As father of Hezekiah’s mother Abijah, he likely contributed to Hezekiah’s early spiritual formation that later produced sweeping reforms.
6.Zechariah son of Jeberechiah, Witness in Isaiah’s Day (Isaiah 8:2)
• Served as a trustworthy legal witness to Isaiah’s prophetic sign.
Zechariah and the Restoration Community
Multiple Levites named Zechariah assisted in worship during Davidic preparations (1 Chronicles 15:18, 20; 16:5), guarded temple gates (1 Chronicles 26:2, 11), and later signed Ezra’s covenant (Ezra 8:3-16) or ministered in Nehemiah’s reforms (Nehemiah 8:4; 12:16, 41). The recurrence of the name in post-exilic rosters underscores continuity between pre-exilic worship ideals and the restored community’s aspirations.
Theological Threads
•Covenant Memory: Each bearer of the name highlights either God’s remembrance of His promises or Israel’s need to remember His commandments.
•Prophetic Confrontation and Comfort: Whether warning Joash or encouraging temple builders, Zechariahs appear when God’s people face pivotal decisions.
•Messianic Expectation: The prophetic book of Zechariah paints one of the most vivid portraits of the coming King, integrating priestly and royal motifs that culminate in Jesus Christ.
•Divine Sovereignty over History: From dynastic transitions (2 Kings 15) to eschatological visions (Zechariah 14), the name’s occurrences remind readers that God governs kings, nations, and the final consummation.
Devotional and Practical Implications
1. God remembers His covenant even when His people waver; believers can trust His fidelity.
2. Prophetic rebuke, though costly (as with Jehoiada’s son), is an act of covenant love.
3. True prosperity, political or personal, is tied to seeking the Lord (2 Chronicles 26:5).
4. The Messiah’s humble arrival and future universal reign exhort the Church to combine present meekness with resolute hope.
5. Faithful witness may involve legal testimony (Isaiah 8:2), worship leadership (1 Chronicles 16:5), or prophetic proclamation (Zechariah 1-14); each sphere is vital in God’s redemptive plan.
Summary
Across priestly courts, royal thrones, prophetic scrolls, and genealogical records, the Zechariahs of Scripture collectively testify that the LORD remembers, warns, restores, and will ultimately reign.
Forms and Transliterations
וְלִזְכַרְיָ֔ה וְלִזְכַרְיָ֥ה וּ֠זְכַרְיָהוּ וּזְכַרְיָ֖ה וּזְכַרְיָ֜הוּ וּזְכַרְיָ֣הוּ וּזְכַרְיָ֤ה וּזְכַרְיָ֧ה וּזְכַרְיָ֨ה וּזְכַרְיָ֨הוּ וּזְכַרְיָֽהוּ׃ וזכריה וזכריהו וזכריהו׃ ולזכריה זְכַרְיָ֑ה זְכַרְיָ֑הוּ זְכַרְיָ֔ה זְכַרְיָ֔הוּ זְכַרְיָ֖ה זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ זְכַרְיָ֗ה זְכַרְיָ֡הוּ זְכַרְיָ֤הוּ זְכַרְיָ֥ה זְכַרְיָ֧ה זְכַרְיָ֨ה זְכַרְיָ֨הוּ זְכַרְיָֽה׃ זְכַרְיָֽהוּ׃ זְכַרְיָה֙ זכריה זכריה׃ זכריהו זכריהו׃ ū·zə·ḵar·yā·hū ū·zə·ḵar·yāh uzecharYah uzecharYahu ūzəḵaryāh ūzəḵaryāhū velizcharYah wə·liz·ḵar·yāh wəlizḵaryāh zə·ḵar·yā·hū zə·ḵar·yāh zecharYah zecharYahu zəḵaryāh zəḵaryāhū
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