Zechariah (son of Jeberechiah)

Biblical Account

Zechariah appears only once, in Isaiah 8:2. God commands Isaiah to take a great roll, or tablet (a surface for engraving or writing), and to write on it, in ordinary script that anyone could read, the name "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" (Isaiah 8:1). The name, generally interpreted as "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens," foretells the plundering of Damascus and Samaria by Assyria. Isaiah then records: "And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah" (Isaiah 8:2). Afterward, when Isaiah's wife bears a son, the child is given the same name (Isaiah 8:3–4). The text says nothing about Zechariah's occupation or any of his other activities.

Significance in Scripture

The purpose of taking witnesses was to confirm that the prophecy had been publicly recorded before its fulfillment. This is understood to reflect the principle of the Law that a matter is established by the testimony of two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). The name Zechariah is interpreted as "the LORD remembers," and Jeberechiah as "the LORD blesses." The New Testament makes no mention of him.

Interpretation and Debate

• Identity: Some commentators suggest that he is the same person as Zechariah, the father of Abi (Abijah), the mother of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:2; 2 Chronicles 29:1). This cannot be confirmed from the text alone, however, and remains conjecture.
• Meaning of "faithful witnesses": Uriah, who is named alongside him, is commonly identified with the priest who built an altar on the Damascus model at the request of King Ahaz (2 Kings 16:10–16). For this reason, some interpreters hold that the word "faithful" does not commend the two men's religious character but indicates that they were reliable as legal witnesses and held official standing.
• Distinction from other Zechariahs: Because of the similarity of names, he is sometimes confused with the prophet Zechariah, "the son of Berechiah" (Zechariah 1:1), author of the Book of Zechariah, but the two are distinct individuals from different periods.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, he is rarely treated as a subject in his own right. He is typically mentioned only briefly, as a witness, in expositions of Isaiah 7–8 or in explanations of the Maher-shalal-hash-baz prophecy.