Reference: Zacharias
American
1. A person mentioned in Mt 23:35; Lu 11:51, and most probably designating the son of the high-priest Jehoida, or Barachias, who was stoned to death by order of king Joash for publicly rebuking the king, his court and the people for their growing corruption, 2Ch 24:20-22. Some suppose the prophet Zechariah to be intended; but history gives no account of his death. Others refer it to a Zacharias the son of Baruch, who was put to death just before the destruction of Jerusalem; but it seems unnatural and unnecessary to suppose that Christ here spoke prophetically.
2. A priest belonging to the eighth course or class, called that of Abia, 1Ch 24, the husband of Elisabeth, and father of John the Baptist. His residence, when not on duty, was in the hill-country south of Jerusalem. He is known to us by his pious and blameless life; his vision of Gabriel in the temple, promising him a son in his old age; his hesitancy in believing, for which he was visited by a temporary dumbness; his miraculous restoration at the circumcision of his son; and his noble and prophetic song of praise, Lu 1:5-25,57-59.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he will stand from above to the people, and say to them, Thus said God, Wherefore are ye passing by the commands of Jehovah, and ye shall not prosper? for ye forsook Jehovah, and he will forsake you. And they will conspire against him, and stone him with stone by the commands of the king in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah. read more. And Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father did with him, and he will kill his son. And in his death he said, Jehovah will see and seek out
So that all the just blood shed upon the earth might come upon you, from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye killed between the temple and altar.
There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the daily order of Abia: and his wife the daughter of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. And they were both just before God, going faultless in all the commands and precepts of the Lord. read more. And no child was to them, as Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days. And it was in his being priest, in the arranging of the daily order before God, According to the custom of the priesthood, he drew lots to burn incense, having entered into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of people were praying without at the hour of incense. And a messenger of the Lord was seen to him, standing from the right of the altar of fumigation. And Zacharias having seen, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. And the messenger said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy supplication has been heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And joy shall be to thee, and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and fermented liquor he should not drink; and with the Holy Spirit shall he be filled, even from his mother's womb. And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn back to the Lord their God. And he shall come before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the intelligence of the just; to prepare a people having been put in order for the Lord. And Zacharias said to the messenger, By what shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife advanced in her days. The messenger having answered, said to him, I am Gabriel, standing before God; and was sent to speak to thee, and announce these good news to thee. And, behold, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall be, because thou didst not believe my words, which shall be completed in their time. And the people were expecting Zacharias, and wondered at his tarrying in the temple. And having come out, he could not speak to them: and they knew that he had seen a vision in the temple: and he was nodding to them, and remained dumb. And it was when the days of his service were filled, he departed to his house. And after these days Elizabeth his wife conceived, and concealed herself five months, saying, That so has the Lord done to me in days which he looked upon, to take away my reproach among men.
And the time was completed to Elizabeth, for her to bring forth; and she brought forth a son. And they dwelling near and her kinsmen heard, for the Lord magnified his mercy with her; and they rejoiced with her. read more. And it was in the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him by the name of his father Zacharias.
From the blood of Abel even to the blood of Zacharias perishing between the altar and house: yea, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
Easton
(1.) A priest of the course of Abia, the eighth of the twenty-four courses into which the priests had been originally divided by David (1Ch 23:1-19). Only four of these courses or "families" of the priests returned from the Exile (Ezr 2:36-39); but they were then re-distributed under the old designations. The priests served at the temple twice each year, and only for a week each time. Zacharias's time had come for this service. During this period his home would be one of the chambers set apart for the priests on the sides of the temple ground. The offering of incense was one of the most solemn parts of the daily worship of the temple, and lots were drawn each day to determine who should have this great honour, an honour which no priest could enjoy more than once during his lifetime.
While Zacharias ministered at the golden altar of incense in the holy place, it was announced to him by the angel Gabriel that his wife Elisabeth, who was also of a priestly family, now stricken in years, would give birth to a son who was to be called John, and that he would be the forerunner of the long-expected Messiah (Lu 1:12-17). As a punishment for his refusing to believe this message, he was struck dumb and "not able to speak until the day that these things should be performed" (Lu 1:20). Nine months passed away, and Elisabeth's child was born, and when in answer to their inquiry Zacharias wrote on a "writing tablet," "His name is John," his mouth was opened, and he praised God (60-79). The child (John the Baptist), thus "born out of due time," "waxed strong in spirit" (1:80).
(2.) The "son of Barachias," mentioned as having been slain between the temple and the altar (Mt 23:35; Lu 11:51). "Barachias" here may be another name for Jehoiada, as some think. (See Zechariah.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And David was old and full of days, and he will make Solomon his son king over Israel And he will gather together all the chiefs of Israel, and the priests and the Levites. read more. And the Levites will be numbered from the son of thirty years and above: and their number, for their craniums, for the men, thirty and eight thousand. From these to superintend over the work of the house of Jehovah, twenty and four thousand; and scribes and judges, six thousand: And four thousand gate keepers, and four thousand praising to Jehovah with instruments which I made to praise. And David will divide them into divisions to the sons of Levi, to Gershon, Kohath and Merari. To Gershon, Laadan, and Shimei. The sons of Laadan: the head, Jehiel, and Zetham and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel and Haran three. These heads of the fathers to Laadan. And the sons of Shimei Jahath, Zina, and Jeush and Beriah. These four the sons of Shimei. And Jahath will be head, and Ziza, the second: and Jeush and Beriah did not multiply sons; and they will be to the father's house for one reviewing. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses: and Aaron will be separated for his consecrating the holy of holies, he and his sons, even to forever, to burn incense before Jehovah to serve him and to praise in his name, even to forever. And Moses the man of God, his sons will be called for the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. The sons of Gersbom, Shebuel the head. And the sons of Ehezer will be Rehabiah the head. And to Eliezer was no other sons; and the sons of Rehabiah were multipled to going up. The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the head. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jehaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
The priests: the sons of Jedaiah to the house of Joshua, nine hundred seventy and three. The sons of Immer, a thousand fifty and two. read more. The sons of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. The sons of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
So that all the just blood shed upon the earth might come upon you, from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye killed between the temple and altar.
And Zacharias having seen, was troubled, and fear fell upon him. And the messenger said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy supplication has been heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. read more. And joy shall be to thee, and gladness: and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and fermented liquor he should not drink; and with the Holy Spirit shall he be filled, even from his mother's womb. And many of the sons of Israel shall he turn back to the Lord their God. And he shall come before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the intelligence of the just; to prepare a people having been put in order for the Lord.
And, behold, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day in which these things shall be, because thou didst not believe my words, which shall be completed in their time.
From the blood of Abel even to the blood of Zacharias perishing between the altar and house: yea, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
Fausets
1. Father of John the Baptist. (Lu 1:5). (See JOHN THE BAPTIST.) Of the course of Abia or Abijah, eighth of the 24 (1Ch 24:10); walking with Elizabeth his wife "in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." His lot was to burn incense, the embodiment of prayer (from whence also during the burning of incense the whole people prayed: Re 8:3-4; Ps 141:2), and esteemed so honourable an office that the same person (say the rabbis) was not allowed to discharge it twice. His unbelief ("whereby shall I know this, seeing I am old?" etc.) at the angel' s announcement of John's birth was retributively punished by dumbness (contrast Ps 116:10; 2Co 4:13), a warning to Israel whose representative he was of the consequences of unbelief if the nation should reject the gospel just coming; just as Mary on the contrary was an example of the blessedness which would flow if they believed (Lu 1:45,38).
Faith (dictating the name for his son given by the angel: Lu 1:13,63-64) opened his mouth, as faith shall cause Israel in the last days to confess her Lord, and the veil on her heart shall be taken away (2Co 3:15-16). Then followed his song of thanksgiving under the Holy Spirit, as Israel shall sing when turned to the Lord according to "the oath which He sware to our father Abraham," etc. (Lu 1:68-80; Isa 12:1-3; Zec 12:10,) "The horn of salvation in the house of David" contrasts beautifully with "the little horn" or antichrist destroying Israel before Messiah shall appear for Israel's help (Da 7:8; 8:9-14,11; 12:1-3).
2. Son of Barachias (Mt 23:35). The same as the sire of Jehoiada; Joash ungratefully forgetting that he owed his throne to Jehoiada slew Zacharias for his faithful reproof: "Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, He hath also forsaken you." By Joash's command they stoned Zacharias "in the court of the house of Jehovah!" And to it the tradition may be due which assigns the tomb in the valley of Jehoshaphat to Zacharias. Contrast Jehoiada's reverent care not to slay Athaliah in the temple precincts (2Ch 23:14; 24:20-22,25). Joash slew other "sons" of Jehoiada besides Zacharias.
The Lord look upon it and requite it was the martyr's dying sentence, which Jesus refers to as about to be executed on Israel; "that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar," i.e. in the interior court of the priests, in which was the altar of burnt offerings. As Zacharias' prayer for vengeance is the judicial side of God's word by His prophets (Re 6:9-11; Lu 18:7), so Stephen's prayer is the gospel loving side of it (Ac 7:60). Though Urijah was slain subsequently to Zacharias (Jer 26:23), yet Zacharias is the last as the canon was arranged, Chronicles standing in it last; Christ names Zacharias as the last and Abel as the first martyr in the Scripture canon. Barachias may have been a second name of Jehoiada, meaning "the blessed," because he preserved David's house in the person of Joash from the murderous Athaliah, slew her, and restored the rightful king. However, as "son of Barachias" does not occur in Lu 11:51, perhaps the words in Matthew were a marginal gloss, confusing this Zacharias with Zechariah the prophet, son of Berechiah.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Jehoiada the priest will bring forth the chiefs of hundreds reviewing the army, and he will say to them, Bring her forth from the house of the ranks: and he coming after her shall be slain with the sword: for the priest said, Ye shall not slay her in the house of Jehovah.
And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he will stand from above to the people, and say to them, Thus said God, Wherefore are ye passing by the commands of Jehovah, and ye shall not prosper? for ye forsook Jehovah, and he will forsake you. And they will conspire against him, and stone him with stone by the commands of the king in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah. read more. And Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father did with him, and he will kill his son. And in his death he said, Jehovah will see and seek out
And in their going away from him (for they forsook him in many diseases) his servants conspired against him for the bloods of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they will kill him upon his bed, and he will die: and they will bury him in the city of David, and they buried him not in the graves of the kings.
My prayer shall be prepared incense before thee; the lifting up my hands the gift of the evening.
And thou saidst in that day, I will praise thee, O Jehovah: for thou wert angry with me, thine anger will turn back and thou wilt comfort me, Behold God my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for my strength and song is Jah Jehovah, and he will be to me for salvation. read more. Ye drew water with gladness from the fountains of salvation.
And they will bring forth Urijah from Egypt and bring him to king Jehoiakim; and he will strike him with the sword, and cast his carcass into the graves of the sons of the people.
I was considering upon the horns, and lo, another little horn went up among them, and three from the first horns were plucked up from before it: and lo, eyes as the eyes of a man in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.
And from one of them came forth one horn of a little thing, and it will be great exceedingly to the south to the sunrisings, and to the glories. And it will be great even to the army of the heavens; and it will cast to the earth from the army, and from the stars, and it will tread them down. read more. And even to the chief of the army was he magnified, and from him the continuance was lifted up, and the foundation of his holy place was cast down.
And even to the chief of the army was he magnified, and from him the continuance was lifted up, and the foundation of his holy place was cast down. And an army will be given upon the continuance by transgression, and it will cast down truth to the earth; and it did and it succeeded. read more. And I shall hear one holy one speaking, and one holy one will say to a certain one, speaking, How long the vision of the continuance, and the transgression laying waste, to be? and the holy place and the army being trodden down? And he will say to me, Even to evening morning, two thousand and three hundred; and the holy place was justified
And in that time Michael the great chief shall stand up, he standing for the sons of thy people: and it was a time of straits that was not from there being a nation, even to that time: and in that time thy people shall escape, every one being found written in the book. And many sleeping in the earth of dust shall awake, these to eternal life, and these to reproach and eternal abhorrence. read more. And those understanding shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and those justifying many, as the stars forever and ever.
And I poured out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplications: and they looked to me whom they pierced, and they mourned for him as mourning for the only begotten, and being embittered for him as being embittered for the first-born.
So that all the just blood shed upon the earth might come upon you, from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye killed between the temple and altar.
There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the daily order of Abia: and his wife the daughter of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
And the messenger said to him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy supplication has been heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And Mary said Behold the servant of the Lord; may it be to me according to thy word. And the messenger departed from her.
And happy she having believed: for a completion of the things spoken shall be to her from the Lord.
And having asked for a small writing tablet, he wrote, saying, John is his name. And they all wondered. And his month was opened immediately, and his tongue, and he spake, praising God.
Praised the Lord God of Israel; for he reviewed and he has made a redemption for his people, And he raised up a horn of salvation to us in the house of David, his servant; read more. As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, from forever: Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all hating us; To do mercy with our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant: The oath which he sware to Abraham our father, To give to us, fearlessly, delivered from the hands of our enemies, To serve him in sanctity and justice before him all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his people, in remission of their sins. Through the bowels of mercy of our God; by which the rising of the sun of sublimity has reviewed us, To shine forth to those in darkness and sitting in the shadow of death, to direct our feet in the way of peace. And the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit, and he was in the deserts till the day of his shewing forth to Israel.
From the blood of Abel even to the blood of Zacharias perishing between the altar and house: yea, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
And shall not God do the avenging of his chosen, crying to him day and night, being slow to anger toward them?
And having set the knees, he cried with a great voice, Lord, wouldest thou not set this sin to them. And having said this he was set to sleep.
But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart And whenever it turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
For I bear testimony to him, that he has much zeal for you, and for them in Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis.
And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of the slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they had: And they cried with a great voice, saying, Till when, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood of them dwelling upon earth read more. And to each were given white robes; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little time, till also their fellowservants be filled up, about to be killed, as also they.
And another angel came and was placed by the altar, having a golden censer; and many perfumes were given him, that he might give to the prayers of the holy upon the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the perfumes went up, with the prayers of the holy, from the angel's hand before God.
Morish
Zachari'as
1. Son of Barachias, who was slain between the temple and the altar. Mt 23:35; Lu 11:51. This probably refers to Zecharias the son of Jehoiada, who was thus slain by order of the king. '/2-Chronicles/24/20/type/juliasmith'>2Ch 24:20-22; 'son' in one of the places may signify 'grandson.' As the Book of Chronicles closes the Hebrew Bible, this assassination of a righteous man may well be deemed the last as that of Abel was the first.
2. Priest of the course of Abia, and father of John the Baptist. Because of his unbelief he was dumb until the child was born. When his son was circumcised, his voice was restored, and being full of the Holy Ghost he praised God and prophesied. His friends proposed the same name for his son; but he objected, and the babe was named John, as directed by the angel. Luke 1.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he will stand from above to the people, and say to them, Thus said God, Wherefore are ye passing by the commands of Jehovah, and ye shall not prosper? for ye forsook Jehovah, and he will forsake you. And they will conspire against him, and stone him with stone by the commands of the king in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah. read more. And Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father did with him, and he will kill his son. And in his death he said, Jehovah will see and seek out
So that all the just blood shed upon the earth might come upon you, from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye killed between the temple and altar.
From the blood of Abel even to the blood of Zacharias perishing between the altar and house: yea, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
Smith
Zachari'as
(Greek form of Zechariah).
1. Father of John the Baptist.
Lu 1:5
etc. He was a priest of the course of Abia. the eighth of the twenty-four courses who ministered at the temple in turn. He probably lived at Hebron. His wife's name was Elisabeth. John was born to them in their old age, and the promise of this son was communicated to Zacharias by an angel while he was offering incense and praying in the temple.
2. Son of Barachias, who, our Lord says, was slain by the Jews between the altar and the temple.
Mt 23:35; Lu 11:54
There has been much dispute who this Zacharias was. Many of the Greek fathers have maintained that the father of John the Baptist is the person to whom our Lord alludes but there can be little or no doubt that the allusion is to Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada,
and he may have been called "the son" of Barachias from his grandfather. (B.C. 838.) He is mentioned as being the martyr last recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures (as Abel was the first) -d Chronicles being the last book in their canon.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he will stand from above to the people, and say to them, Thus said God, Wherefore are ye passing by the commands of Jehovah, and ye shall not prosper? for ye forsook Jehovah, and he will forsake you. And they will conspire against him, and stone him with stone by the commands of the king in the enclosure of the house of Jehovah.
So that all the just blood shed upon the earth might come upon you, from the blood of just Abel to the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye killed between the temple and altar.
There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the daily order of Abia: and his wife the daughter of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
Laying wait for him, and seeking to seize something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.