Jaazaniah

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

1. "Son of the Maacathite," a "captain of the forces" who accompanied Johanan in waiting on Gedaliah, the governor over the Jewish remnant after the capture of Jerusalem, and afterward in rescuing them from Ishmael, and in going to Egypt in spite of the Lord's prohibition ( 2 Kings 25:23;  Jeremiah 41:11;  Jeremiah 43:4-5).

2. Son of Shaphan. Stood as leader in the midst of the 70 ancients (elders) of Israel with censers in their hands, worshipping idols portrayed upon the wall of the court of Jehovah's house; seen by Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 8:11). Shaphan was the scribe who read to Josiah the law. The son's spiritual privileges increased his guilt ( 2 Kings 22:10-14). His very name, meaning" Jehovah hears," gave the lie to the unbelief which virtually said "Jehovah seeth not" ( Ezekiel 9:9;  Psalms 10:11;  Psalms 10:14;  Psalms 50:21;  Psalms 94:7;  Psalms 94:9). The elders incurred further guilt in usurping the priests' office by offering incense.

3. Son of Azur, leader of the 25 priests ( Ezekiel 11:1). Azur means help, their names reminding them, if they would have heeded it, that God would have "heard" if they had sought His "help" to save the city.

4.  Jeremiah 35:3.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

1. Son of Hoshaiah, a Maachathite, and a captain among those left in the land by the king of Babylon.  2 Kings 25:23 . Called Jezaniah in  Jeremiah 40:8;  Jeremiah 42:1 .

2. A Rechabite, son of Jeremiah: he refused to drink wine, and was blessed for his obedience to his forefathers.  Jeremiah 35:3 .

3. Son of Shaphan, and leader of the seventy elders who were seen in a vision by Ezekiel offering incense to idols.  Ezekiel 8:11 .

4. Son of Azur, and one of the princes who devised mischief and gave wicked counsel to the people.  Ezekiel 11:1 .

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Jaazaniah 1. A Judæan, one of the military commanders who came to Mizpah to give in their allegiance to Gedaliah (  2 Kings 25:23 =   Jeremiah 40:8 Jezaniah ). 2. A chieftain of the clan of the Rechabites (  Jeremiah 35:3 ). 3. Son of Shaphan, who appeared in Ezekiel’s vision as ringleader of seventy of the elders of Israel in the practice of secret idolatry at Jerusalem (  Ezekiel 8:11 ). 4. Son of Azzur, against whose counsels Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy (  Ezekiel 11:1 ff.).

Holman Bible Dictionary

 2 Kings 25:23-25 Jeremiah 40:8 Ezekiel 8:11 2 Kings 22:1

If so, the son did not imitate the faithful father. 3. A government official whom Ezekiel accused with his associates of giving wicked advice. His name in Hebrew is an abbreviated form of Jaazaniah. 4. The same abbreviated Hebrew name belonged to a Rechabite whom Jeremiah used as an example of faithful obedience to God ( Jeremiah 35:3 ). See Rechabite.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Yaazanyah', יִעֲזִנְיָה , Heard by Jehovah; also in the prolonged form Yaazanya'Hu, יִעֲזִנְיָהוּ [- 2 Kings 25:23;  Ezekiel 8:11]; sometimes in the contracted form Yezanyah', יְזִנְיָה , "Jezaniah" [ Jeremiah 42:1], or Yezanmyahu, יְזִנְיָהוּ , "Jezaniah" [ Jeremiah 40:8]; Septuag. Ι᾿Εζονίας , but Ἀζαρίας in  Jeremiah 42:1; vulg. Jezanias), the name of four men about the time of the Captivity.

1. The son of Jeremiah, and one of the chief Rechabites (i.e. sheik) whom the prophet tested with the offer of wine ( Jeremiah 35:3). B.C. 606. (See Jehonadab).

2. The son of Shaphan, whom Ezekiel in his vision saw standing in the midst of the seventy elders offering idolatrous incense in the "chambers of imagery" at Jerusalem ( Ezekiel 8:11). B.C. 593.

3. The son of Azur, and one of the "princes" among the twenty-five men seen in vision by the same prophet at the east gate of the Temple, and represented as encouraging the city in its wicked pride ( Ezekiel 11:1). B.C. 593

4. The son of Hoshaiah, a Maachathite, who acted in conjunction with Johanan, the son of Kareah, after the downfall of Jerusalem, first in submitting to the Babylonian governor Gedaliah, and, after his assassination, in requesting Jeremiah's advice as to the proper course for the people to pursue ( 2 Kings 25:23;  Jeremiah 40:8;  Jeremiah 42:1). He appears to have assisted in recovering Ishmael's prey from his clutches (comp.  Jeremiah 41:11). After that he probably went to Egypt with the rest ( Jeremiah 43:4-5). He is doubtless the same person called Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, who rejected the divine counsel thus asked, and insisted on fleeing into Egypt ( Jeremiah 43:1). B.C. 587. (See Jeremiah).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jā - az - a - nı̄´a ( יאזניהוּ , ya'ăzanyāhū , in  2 Kings 25:23;  Ezekiel 8:11; יאזניה , ya'ăzanyāh , in  Jeremiah 35:3;  Ezekiel 11:1 , "Yah hears"):

(1) In  2 Kings 25:23 , "son of the Maacathite," and one of the Judean "captains of the forces" who joined Gedaliah, the Babylonian governor appointed by Nebuchadrezzar over Judah, at Mizpah. He is the "Jezaniah" of  Jeremiah 40:8;  Jeremiah 42:1 . Though not mentioned by name, he was presumably one of those captains who joined Johnnan in his attack on Ishmael after the latter had slain Gedaliah ( Jeremiah 41:11-18 ). He is also the same as Azariah of  Jeremiah 43:2 , a name read by the Septuagint's Codex Vaticanus in  Jeremiah 42:1 also.   Jeremiah 43:5 relates how Johnnan and his allies, Jaazaniah (= Azariah) among them, left Judah with the remnant, and took up their abode in Egypt.

(2) In  Jeremiah 35:3 , son of Jeremiah (not the prophet), and a chief of the Rechabite clansmen from whose "staunch adherence to the precepts of their ancestor" Jeremiah "points a lesson for his own countrymen" (Driver, Jeremiah , 215).

(3) In  Ezekiel 8:11 , son of Shaphan, and one of the seventy men of the ciders of Israel whom Ezekiel saw in a vision of Jerusalem offering incense to idols.

(4) In  Ezekiel 11:1 , son of Azzur, and one of the 25 men whom Ezekiel saw in his vision of Jerusalem, at the East door of the Lord's house, and against whose iniquity he was commanded to prophesy ( Ezekiel 11:1-13 ).