Who was Maaseiah in the Bible?

Maaseiah was a priest who served in Jerusalem during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah. He is mentioned as serving during the reigns of the last kings, Zedekiah and Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 21:1, 29:25).

What did Maaseiah do in the Bible?

Maaseiah was sent by King Zedekiah to the prophet Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord concerning the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 21:1-2). He was also involved when a false prophet, Shemaiah, sent letters opposing Jeremiah's ministry (Jeremiah 29:24-25).

Why is Maaseiah significant in the Bible?

Maaseiah's role highlights the political and spiritual turmoil in Judah's final days. As a priestly official, his interactions with Jeremiah place him at the center of the conflict between the king's court and God's prophet during a national crisis.

Maaseiah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMalePriest

Maaseiah, a priest, served during the reigns of Kings Zedekiah and Jehoiakim of Judah (Jer.21.1; 29.25; 37.3).

Maaseiah

Biography

Maaseiah was a priest who served during the turbulent final decades of the kingdom of Judah, appearing in connection with the reigns of Kings Zedekiah and Jehoiakim. He is identified as the father of Zephaniah the priest, who served as a messenger between King Zedekiah and the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:1; 37:3). Maaseiah is also referenced in Jeremiah 29:25, where the false prophet Shemaiah wrote a letter to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah attempting to have Jeremiah restrained. Through his son Zephaniah, Maaseiah's family occupied a pivotal position in Jerusalem's priestly hierarchy during the Babylonian crisis. He lived in an era when true and false prophecy clashed openly, and the fate of Jerusalem hung in the balance.

Significance

Maaseiah's significance lies primarily in his family's proximity to the great prophetic confrontations of Jeremiah's ministry. His son Zephaniah served as a key intermediary between the royal court and the prophet Jeremiah, placing the family at the intersection of political power and prophetic truth. The references in Jeremiah reveal a priestly household navigating the tensions between faithfulness to God's word and the pressures of a collapsing kingdom. Maaseiah's legacy reminds us that the influence of faithful families extends beyond a single generation and that those who serve God often find their descendants drawn into the decisive spiritual conflicts of their age.

Verse Appearances (3)

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:1 Jeremiah 29:25 Jeremiah 37:3

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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