Who was Zichri in the Bible?

Zichri was a mighty warrior from the tribe of Ephraim, known for his actions during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He is specifically noted for killing several high-ranking officials in a battle, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 28:7.

What did Zichri do in the Bible?

During a war between Israel and Judah, Zichri killed three important men from Judah: Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the governor, and Elkanah the second to the king (2 Chronicles 28:7). This event highlights the severe defeat Judah suffered under King Ahaz.

Why is Zichri significant in the Bible?

Zichri's story is significant because it illustrates a period of judgment and military defeat for the kingdom of Judah due to King Ahaz's unfaithfulness. His actions are part of the historical record showing the consequences of turning away from God, as described in 2 Chronicles 28.

Zichri

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleWarrior

Zichri, a mighty warrior from Ephraim, killed Maaseiah the king's son, Ahaziah the governor, and Elkanah the second to the king during the reign of Ahaz (2Ch.28.7).

Zichri

Biography

Zichri was a warrior from the tribe of Ephraim who appears in the grim account of 2 Chronicles 28:7 during the invasion of Judah by Pekah king of Israel. During that devastating campaign, in which Israel slew 120,000 Judeans in a single day, Zichri killed three senior officials of King Ahaz's court: Maaseiah the king's son, Azrikam the palace administrator, and Elkanah who was second only to the king himself. The Chronicler frames this catastrophic defeat as divine judgment against Ahaz, who had abandoned the God of his fathers and led Judah into idolatry. Zichri's actions, while portrayed without moral commentary, were part of a broader military slaughter that the Chronicler explicitly attributes to God's anger against Judah.

Significance

Zichri's act of killing three of Judah's highest officials during Pekah's invasion serves a stark theological function in the Chronicler's narrative. His identity as an Ephraimite, a northern Israelite, slaying the leading men of Ahaz's apostate court exemplifies the biblical pattern in which unfaithfulness to God brings judgment through historical and political catastrophe. The Chronicler is insistent throughout 2 Chronicles 28 that Judah's suffering was not geopolitical misfortune but covenantal consequence. Zichri is thus less a heroic figure than an instrument of divine discipline. His story stands as a sobering reminder that national apostasy carries national consequences, and that the protection ordinarily afforded to the Davidic dynasty was conditional upon covenant faithfulness.

Verse Appearances (1)

2Chr

2Chr 28:7

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]

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