Iddo (Prophet)

Biblical Record

Iddo is named in 2 Chronicles only as the author of books recording the acts of kings. No passage records his words or deeds directly. He is mentioned in three places:

• 2 Chronicles 9:29: The acts of Solomon are said to be written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and "in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat." The verse thus identifies this work as one Iddo wrote concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat. "Seer," denoting one who sees what God reveals and makes it known, is an older term for a prophet.
• 2 Chronicles 12:15: The acts of Rehoboam are said to be written "in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies."
• 2 Chronicles 13:22: The acts of Abijah, king of Judah, are said to be written "in the story of the prophet Iddo."

In the Hebrew text, the spelling of the name varies slightly from verse to verse. Most translations and commentaries, however, regard all three passages as referring to the same person.

Others with the Same Name

The Korean Revised Version mentions several people named Iddo. The principal examples are:

• The father of Ahinadab, one of Solomon's officials (1 Kings 4:14)
• The grandfather of the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1; Ezra 5:1). He is generally identified with the Iddo of the priestly family who returned with Zerubbabel at the return from the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 12:4, 16).
• The chief at the place Casiphia to whom Ezra sent men to obtain Levites (Ezra 8:17)

All of these lived in periods different from that of the Iddo discussed in this article.

Significance in Scripture

Like Nathan, Ahijah, and Shemaiah, Iddo appears as one of the prophets who recorded the reigns of kings. That Chronicles cites the writings of these prophets as sources shows that Israel's historical records were closely connected with the work of the prophets. His books do not survive. The New Testament makes no mention of Iddo the seer.

Interpretations and Debates

• Lost books: Iddo's books are no longer extant. Some scholars hold that they were independent sources that the Chronicler actually consulted. Others hold that these titles refer to portions of a larger prophetic history. Protestants regard these books as lying outside the canon. The passages are often cited as evidence that not everything written by a prophet became canonical.
• The "story" (midrash): The word rendered "story" in 2 Chronicles 13:22 ("commentary" in some translations) is midrash in Hebrew. This is reportedly the term's first occurrence in the Old Testament. Its precise meaning here is disputed.
• Extrabiblical tradition: Jewish tradition and Josephus are reported to identify Iddo with the unnamed "man of God" in 1 Kings 13 who denounced Jeroboam's altar at Bethel. The biblical text, however, does not state that the two are the same person.

In the Korean Church

Iddo is rarely treated on his own in preaching, worship music, or Sunday school. He is mentioned mainly in read-through-the-Bible programs or in expositions of Chronicles, and he is briefly introduced when distinguishing him from Zechariah's grandfather of the same name.