Bible Dictionaries
Seraiah

Holman Bible Dictionary

(ssih ri' uh) personal name meaning, “Yah has proved Himself ruler.” 1. David's royal “scribe” and thus probably functioning as a modern secretary of state (2 Samuel 8:17 ). The Hebrew tradition has various spellings of the name: Sheva, Sheya (2 Samuel 20:25 ); Shisha (1 Kings 4:3 ) if this is not a Hebraic spelling of the Egyptian word for scribe; Shavsha (1 Chronicles 18:16 ).

2. Chief priest taken into Babylonian Exile in 587 B.C. (2 Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 16:14; Jeremiah 52:24 ). 3 . “Quiet prince” (KJV), “quartermaster” (REB, NAS, NRSV) Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.) sent to Babylon with instructions from himself and from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:59-64 ). 4 . Priest and father of Ezra (Ezra 7:1 ). 5 . Army officer who reported to Gedaliah when he was named governor immediately after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25:23; compare Jeremiah 40:8 ). He may have been involved in rebellion Ishmael led. 6. Leader in tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:13 ). 7 . Member of tribe of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:35 ). 8 . Leader of returning Exiles under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2 ); apparently the same as Azariah (Nehemiah 7:7 ). 9 . Priestly family (Nehemiah 10:2; Nehemiah 12:12 ).