Who was Iddo in the Bible?

Iddo was a priest and prophet who lived in Judah after the Babylonian exile. He is primarily known as the grandfather of the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1).

Why is Iddo significant in the Bible?

Iddo's significance lies in his role as a prophetic ancestor and a leader in the post-exilic community. His recorded writings, though now lost, contributed to the historical records of that period (2 Chronicles 9:29; 12:15).

What did Iddo do as a prophet?

The Bible records that Iddo wrote prophetic accounts concerning King Jeroboam and the reigns of Kings Rehoboam and Abijah. He served as a historian-prophet documenting God's work with the kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:22).

Iddo

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMalePriestProphet

Iddo, the grandfather of the prophet Zechariah, was a priest and prophet in post-exilic Judah.

Iddo

Biography

Iddo the priest and prophet was the grandfather of the post-exilic prophet Zechariah, whose ministry is recorded in the book bearing his name. Iddo himself returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel following Cyrus's edict (Nehemiah 12:4, 16), and he headed a priestly family that continued to serve in the restored community for at least two generations. The prophet Zechariah is repeatedly identified as "son of Berechiah, son of Iddo" (Zechariah 1:1, 1:7; Ezra 5:1; 6:14), suggesting that Iddo's priestly and prophetic identity shaped the vocational heritage of his grandson. His family's prominence in the restoration community placed them at the heart of Israel's spiritual and liturgical renewal.

Significance

Iddo stands as a crucial link in Israel's covenantal continuity across the rupture of exile. By returning from Babylon and re-establishing his priestly household in Jerusalem, he embodied the faithfulness required to rebuild a shattered community. More profoundly, he was the progenitor of Zechariah, one of the most eschatologically rich prophets of the Old Testament. Zechariah's visions of the coming Branch, the pierced shepherd, and the Lord's ultimate reign (Zechariah 3:8; 12:10; 14) carry forward a hope that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Iddo's legacy is thus bound up with some of the most significant messianic prophecies in Scripture.

Verse Appearances (4)

Ezra

Ezra 5:1 Ezra 6:14

Zech

Zech 1:1 Zech 1:7

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]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources