GEDALIAH
“God is great”.
(a) Son of Ahikam, who had been Jeremiah’s protector. He was made governor of those who were left in the land at the deportation of the Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah accompanied him. He evidently ruled well; he was treacherously murdered by Ishmael of Judah, who, according to Josephus, was of the royal family (Ant. 10:9, 3). Gedaliah had been warned, but he did not want to believe that Ishmael could be capable of such betrayal (2 Kings 25:22-25; Jer. 39:14; 40:5-16; 41:1-18; 43:6) .
(b) Levite, son of Jeduthun (1 Chron. 25:3, 9).
(c) Priest who married a foreign woman (Ezra 10:18).
(d) Grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:1).
(e) Son of Pashhur, one of the princes who had Jeremiah thrown into the prison cistern (Jer. 38:1).