SERAIAH (se-ra'ya), (Heb. ser-aw-yaw', jah has prevailed; warrior of Jehovah). There are several persons of this name in Scripture.
1. The scribe or secretary of David (2 Sam. viii :17), B. C. about lots. This person's name is in other places corrupted into Shera (2 Sam. xx: 25), Shish° (1 Kings iv :3), and Shaysha (1 Chron. xviii a6).
2. The son of Azariah, the high-priest at the time that Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldnans. He was sent prisoner to Nebuchadnezzar at Rib lah. who put him to death (2 Kings xxv :18; Chron. vi :14 ; Jer. :24 ; Ezra vii ), B. C. 588.
3. The son of Azriel, one of the persons charged with the apprehension of Jeremiah and Baruch (Jer. xxxvi :26), B. C. 6o6.
4. The son of Neriah, who held a high office in the court of King Zedekiah, the nature of which is somewhat uncertain (Jer. li 60. In the Auth. Vera. we have, 'This Seraiah was a quiet prince.' where the words rendered 'quiet prince' according to "Kimchi means 'a chamberlain,' or one who attended the king when he retired to rest ; but better, perhaps, according to Gesenius, 'chief of the quarters' for the king and his army, that is quarter-master-general. This Seraiah was
sent by Zedekiah on an embassy to Babylon, prob ably to render his submission to that monarch, about seven years before the fall of Jerusalem (B.
C. 594). He was charged by Jeremiah to com municate to the Jews already in exile a book, in which the prophet had written out his prediction of all the evil that should come upon Babylon. It is not stated how Seraiah acquitted himself of his task; but that he accepted it at all, shows such respect for the prophet as may allow us to con clude that he would not neglect the duty which it imposed.
5. The son of Tanhumeth, an accomplice of Ish mael in the conspiracy against Gedaliah (2 Kings xxv :23; Jer. xl :8), B. C. 587.
8. The son of Asiel, of the tribe of Simeon (I Chron. iv :35), B. C. before 72o.
7. A priest, and son of Hilkiah, who returned from the Captivity (Ezra ii :2: Neh. x:2; xi :1 ; xii :1, 12), B. C. 536. He is called AZARIAH (Neh. vii :7).
8. The son of Kenaz, and father of Joab (1 Chron. iv :13, 14), B. C. about 156o.