Who was Bariah in the Bible?

Bariah was a descendant of King David through the line of his son Solomon, mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. He is listed as a son of Shemaiah and the father of Neariah in 1 Chronicles 3:22.

Why is Bariah significant in the Bible?

Bariah's significance lies in his place within the Davidic lineage, which was the royal line God promised would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16). His inclusion in the genealogy shows the preservation of this line leading to Jesus, the Messiah (Matthew 1:1).

What key events was Bariah involved in?

The Bible does not record any specific events in Bariah's life. His sole mention is in a genealogical list, indicating his role was primarily to be a link in the chain of descendants from King David to the post-exilic community.

Bariah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon of shemaiah

Bariah was a descendant of King David through Solomon's line.

Bariah

Biography

Bariah was a member of the royal Davidic line, listed in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 3:22 as one of the sons of Shemaiah, who was himself the son of Shecaniah, a descendant of the post-exilic Davidic line. His lineage traces through the line of Solomon and the kings of Judah into the exilic and post-exilic periods, making him part of the branch of David's family that survived the Babylonian conquest and maintained its genealogical identity in the years after the fall of Jerusalem. Bariah's name means 'fugitive' or 'fleeing one' in Hebrew, possibly reflecting circumstances of the period of displacement. He appears only in this single genealogical notice, but his preservation in the record underscores the ongoing importance of the Davidic lineage even in the absence of a reigning king.

Significance

Bariah's genealogical position in 1 Chronicles 3 carries significance beyond his individual biography. The Chronicler's meticulous preservation of the Davidic line through the exile and into the post-exilic period reflects the community's living hope that God's covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:12–16) had not been annulled by the Babylonian catastrophe. Every name in this genealogy represents a link in the chain of promise connecting the ancient covenant to the anticipated future fulfillment. In retrospect, these post-exilic Davidic lineages are theologically significant because Matthew 1 and Luke 3 both trace Jesus' legal and physical descent through the Davidic line, meaning figures like Bariah represent the living thread of messianic promise carefully tended across generations of obscurity.

Verse Appearances (1)

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 3:22

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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