Meaning of the Name Zechariah
Zechariah combines the Hebrew verb "to remember" with the divine name. It is therefore commonly understood to mean "Yahweh has remembered." The meaning is generally considered secure.
Origin
The name Zechariah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Zechariah in the Bible?
Zechariah is the prophet who speaks in the same broad post-exilic setting as Haggai, and his book is marked by visions, hope for the temple, and forward-looking messianic expectations. Many people in Scripture bear this name, but the prophet Zechariah is the best known.
The story of Zechariah in the Bible
Many people in the Bible bear the name Zechariah; the best known is the prophet Zechariah, grandson of Iddo, who begins to speak in the second year of Darius, alongside Haggai, encouraging the returned exiles to rebuild the temple. The early chapters of his book are woven from a series of night visions: horsemen, horns, a man with a measuring line, the high priest Joshua clothed in clean garments, a golden lampstand with two olive trees — images announcing that God has turned his face toward Jerusalem again. At the center of these visions stands the word given for Zerubbabel, one of the book's most quoted lines: not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of the LORD. The second half of the book looks ahead; in one of its most famous passages the daughter of Zion is told her king will come humble and riding on a donkey, a word the Gospels recall at Jesus's entry into Jerusalem. Zechariah thus stands as both an encourager of the rebuilding and a strong voice of messianic hope.
Is Zechariah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Zechariah is also mentioned in the Quran; in Islamic tradition he is a revered prophet and the father of John (Yahya), corresponding to the Zechariah of the Gospels, the father of John the Baptist. The Old Testament prophet Zechariah is an earlier, different figure who bears the same name.
Verses where Zechariah appears
- Zechariah 1:1 —
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, Yahweh’s word came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,
- Zechariah 4:6 —
Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies.
- Zechariah 9:9 —
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.