Bible Dictionary
Jezaniah
Jezaniah was a captain associated with the remnant of Judah after Jerusalem’s fall. He supported Gedaliah at Mizpah and later joined the leaders who went down to Egypt.
Definition
Jezaniah, meaning “whom Jehovah hears,” was the son of Hoshaiah the Maachathite and a captain among the forces that escaped from Jerusalem during the Chaldean siege.
Biblical Usage
After the Babylonians departed, Jezaniah returned with his men to Gedaliah at Mizpah. He later took a prominent part in the events following Gedaliah’s assassination and is identified with Jaazaniah in related passages.
Historical Background
The supplied material dates these events to about 588 B.C., after the fall of Jerusalem.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(whom Jehovah hears), the son of Hoshaiah the Maachathite, and one of the captains of the forces who had escaped from Jerusalem during the final attack of the beleaguering army of the Chaldeans. (B.C. 588.) When the Babylonians had departed, Jezaniah, with the men under his command, was one of the first who returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah. In the events which followed the assassination of that officer Jezaniah took a prominent part. (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8; 42:1; 43:2)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>jez-a-ni'-a (yezanyahu, probably "Yahweh hears"; compare JAAZANIAH): In Jer 40:8, and also 42:1 where Septuagint has "Azariah," as in 43:2 (see Driver, Jer) = JAAZANIAH, (1) (which see).</p>