Jahzerah

Jahzerah is a priest known only as a generational link in the genealogy of Maasai, one of the priestly heads named when the Chronicler records the resettlement of Jerusalem.

A Priestly Ancestor of Maasai

The single occurrence reads: "and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer" (1Ch 9:12). Jahzerah stands two steps above Maasai in the line — son of Meshullam, father of Adiel, grandfather of Maasai — and the chain continues back through Meshillemith to Immer, the priestly course-name. The verse names two parallel priestly genealogies (Adaiah and Maasai), each given in full descent.

Among the Priests of the Resettlement

The notice belongs to the Chronicler's roll of those who returned to live in Jerusalem after the exile. The wider priestly section opens "And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, Jachin," (1Ch 9:10), names Azariah son of Hilkiah as "leader of the house of God" (1Ch 9:11), gives the two genealogies in which Jahzerah appears (1Ch 9:12), and closes the panel with the muster: "their brothers, heads of their fathers' houses, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God" (1Ch 9:13). Jahzerah's name preserves a step in the line that produced one of these heads.