Who was Kolaiah in the Bible?

Kolaiah was a false prophet among the Jewish exiles in Babylon. He is mentioned only in the book of Jeremiah, where God pronounces judgment against him for prophesying lies in God's name (Jeremiah 29:21).

What happened to Kolaiah the false prophet?

God declared through Jeremiah that Kolaiah and another false prophet, Zedekiah, would be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and executed. This judgment served as a warning against deceiving the exiles with false hope (Jeremiah 29:21-22).

Why is Kolaiah significant in the Bible?

Kolaiah's story highlights the serious consequences of false prophecy and misleading God's people. His judgment underscores the biblical theme that God condemns those who speak falsely in His name, especially during times of crisis like the exile.

Kolaiah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleProphet

Kolaiah, a false prophet among the exiles in Babylon (Jer.29.21).

Kolaiah

Biography

This Kolaiah was the father of Ahab, a man who prophesied falsely among the Israelite exiles in Babylon during the period of Jeremiah's ministry. The prophet Jeremiah denounced Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah as false prophets who were proclaiming lies in God's name, committing adultery, and leading the exiles astray with deceptive messages of false hope (Jeremiah 29:21–23). Jeremiah declared that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would put them to death, and that their fate would become a byword of cursing among the exiles. Though Kolaiah himself is only known as this false prophet's father, his son's infamy, and the judgment it attracted, makes his name part of the sobering prophetic record of those who corrupted God's word during one of Israel's darkest hours.

Significance

Kolaiah the father of the false prophet Ahab serves as a cautionary presence in Israel's exile narrative. His son's false prophecy represented one of the gravest dangers facing the exilic community: the distortion of divine revelation at a moment when the people desperately needed truth. Jeremiah's confrontation with Ahab son of Kolaiah underscores the biblical conviction that false prophecy carries severe consequences, not only for the prophet, but for those led astray. The episode illustrates that access to sacred tradition and community standing offers no protection against judgment when the word of God is corrupted. Faithfulness to truth, even in exile, remains the irreducible calling of those who speak in God's name.

Authority Records

Wikidata

ChildAhab

Verse Appearances (1)

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:21

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]

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