(whom the Lord helps) a common name in Hebrew, and especially in the families of the priests of the line of Eleazar, whose name has precisely the same meaning as Azariah. It is nearly identical, and is often confounded, with Ezra as well as with Zerahiah and Seraiah. The principal persons who bore this name were-
• Son of Ahimaaz. (1 Chronicles 6:9) He appears from (1 Kings 4:2) to have succeeded Zadok, his grandfather, in the high priesthood, in the reign of Solomon, Ahimaaz having died before Zadok. (B.C. About 1000.) [Ahimaaz]
• A chief officer of Solomon's, the son of Nathan, perhaps David's grandson. (1 Kings 4:5)
• Tenth king of Judah, more frequently called Uzziah. (2 Kings 14:21; 15:1,6,8,17,23,27; 1 Chronicles 8:12)
• Son of Ethan, of the sons of Zerah, where, perhaps, Zerahiah is the more probable reading. (1 Chronicles 2:8)
• Son of Jehu of the family of the Jerahmeelites, and descended from Jarha the Egyptian slave of Sheshan. (1 Chronicles 2:38,39) He was probably one of the captains of hundreds in the time of Athaliah mentioned in (2 Chronicles 23:1) (B.C. 886.)
• The son of Johanan. (1 Chronicles 6:10) He must have been high priest in the reign of Abijah and Asa. (B.C. 939.)
• Another Azariah is inserted between Hilkiah, in Josiah's reign, and Seraiah who was put to death by Nebuchadnezzar, in (1 Chronicles 6:13,14)
• Son of Zephaniah, a Kohathite, and ancestor of Samuel the prophet. (1 Chronicles 6:36) Apparently the same as Uzziah in ver. 24.
• Azariah; the son of Oded, (2 Chronicles 15:1) called simply Oded in ver. 8, was a remarkable prophet in the days of King Asa, and a contemporary of Azariah the son of Johanan the high priest, and of Hanani the seer. (B.C. 939.)
• Son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 21:2) (B.C.910.)
• Another son of Jehoshaphat, and brother of the preceding. (2 Chronicles 21:2)
• In (2 Chronicles 22:6) Azariah is a clerical error for Ahaziah.
• Son of Jeroham, one of the captains of Judah in the time of Athaliah. (2 Chronicles 23:1)
• The high priest in the reign of Uzziah king of Judah. The most memorable event of his life is that which is recorded in (2 Chronicles 26:17-20) (B.C. 810.) Azariah was contemporary with Isaiah the prophet and with Amos and Joel.
• Son of Johanan, one of the captains of Ephraim in the reign of Ahaz. (2 Chronicles 28:12)
• A Kohathite, father of Joel, in the reign of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 29:12) (B.C. 726.)
• A Merarite, son of Jehalelel, in the time of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 29:12)
• The high priest in the days of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 31:10,13) He appears to have co operated zealously with the king in that thorough purification of the temple and restoration of the temple service, which was so conspicuous a feature in his reign. He succeeded Urijah, who was high priest in the reign of Ahaz.
• Son of Maaseiah who repaired part of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 3:23,24) (B.C. 446-410.)
• One of the leaders of the children of the province who went up from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Nehemiah 7:7)
• One of the Levites who assisted Ezra in instructing the people in the knowledge of the law. (Nehemiah 8:7)
• One of the priests who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:2) and probably the same with the Azariah who assisted in the dedication of the city wall. (Nehemiah 12:33)
• (Jeremiah 13:2) (Jezaniah).
• The original name of Abednego. (Daniel 1:6,7,11,19) He appears to have been of the seed-royal of Judah. (B.C. 603.)