Zichri
Zichri was the father of Elishaphat, one of the commanders who supported Jehoiada the priest in overthrowing Athaliah (2Ch.23.1).
Biography
This Zichri was the father of Elishaphat, one of five military commanders who entered into covenant with Jehoiada the priest to overthrow the usurper queen Athaliah and restore the Davidic line to the throne of Judah (2 Chronicles 23:1). When Athaliah had seized power following the death of her son Ahaziah, she attempted to exterminate the royal seed of David. Jehoiada's bold conspiracy, which included Elishaphat son of Zichri, placed the young Joash on the throne and preserved the messianic lineage. Though Zichri himself is not further described in Scripture, his son's pivotal role in this dramatic moment of Judah's history reflects a household committed to the covenant traditions of Israel.
Significance
The act of Elishaphat, and by extension his father Zichri's household, in supporting Jehoiada's coup fits into one of Scripture's most dramatic demonstrations of God's providential protection of the Davidic covenant. When it appeared that the royal line might be extinguished entirely, faithful men rallied to restore God's appointed king. This episode illustrates the principle that God accomplishes his redemptive purposes through the courageous obedience of otherwise obscure individuals. The Davidic line that Zichri's son helped preserve would ultimately trace forward to the birth of Jesus, the son of David and promised Messiah.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Chr
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]