Shelemiah, Ancestor of Jehudi
An ancestor of Jehudi, the court official who read Jeremiah’s prophecy to the officials of King Jehoiakim during the Divided Monarchy.
Shelemiah (fl. 7th century BC) was a figure of the Divided Monarchy period whose legacy is preserved through his descendants in the royal court of Judah. He is primarily known in the biblical record as the grandfather of Jehudi, a messenger and official who served under the Judean leadership during the reign of King Jehoiakim. While Shelemiah does not appear as an active protagonist in the narrative, his inclusion in a detailed four-generation genealogy suggests his family held significant standing in Jerusalem.
His place in the text occurs during one of the most tumultuous periods of Israelite history, as the Babylonian threat loomed over the Southern Kingdom. The record of his lineage serves to authenticate the status of his grandson, Jehudi, who was entrusted with the delicate task of interacting with Baruch, the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah.
Background and Family
Shelemiah is identified in the Book of Jeremiah as the son of Cushi and the father of Nethaniah. This specific lineage—Cushi to Shelemiah to Nethaniah to Jehudi—is one of the more extended genealogies provided for a minor official in the prophetic books. Such detailed recording typically indicates a family of established social or political rank within the Judean bureaucracy. The name Shelemiah itself means "Yahweh has recompensed" or "Friend of Yahweh," reflecting the common theophoric naming conventions of the Divided Monarchy.
Major Life Events
The biblical record does not preserve the specific deeds or life events of Shelemiah himself. Instead, he is mentioned as a point of reference to establish the identity of Jehudi. During the fifth year of King Jehoiakim (c. 604 BC), the prophet Jeremiah dictated a scroll of prophecies to his scribe, Baruch, which contained warnings of impending judgment. When the scroll was read in the temple, the Judean officials sent Jehudi to retrieve Baruch and the scroll. The text identifies Jehudi as the "son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi" (Jeremiah 36:14).
Relationship to Other Biblical Figures
Shelemiah’s primary relationship in the text is to his grandson, Jehudi. Jehudi appears to have been a trusted courier or lower-level official among the princes of Judah. By tracing Jehudi’s line back to Shelemiah and Cushi, the author of Jeremiah emphasizes that these men were not foreigners but established members of the Judean community, possibly connected to the scribal or official class that navigated the tensions between the prophetic word and the royal court.
Spiritual Significance
In the context of the Divided Monarchy, Shelemiah represents the generations of Israelites who lived through the spiritual decline of Judah. While he is not credited with specific acts of righteousness or wickedness, his name remains part of the sacred record because of his family's role in the preservation and communication of Jeremiah’s message. The mention of his name in the genealogy of an official who sought out the words of the LORD (even if that message was later rejected by the King) situates Shelemiah within the historical reality of Jerusalem's final decades.
Spiritual Significance
The inclusion of Shelemiah in the genealogy of Jehudi serves a historical and administrative purpose. In the ancient Near East, four generations of lineage were often cited to establish the legitimacy and noble standing of an individual in a royal or legal context. Shelemiah acts as a link in the chain of a family that witnessed the transition from the relative stability of the late 7th century BC to the crisis of the Babylonian invasions. Through him, the text underscores the continuity of the Judean people even as their political structures began to crumble.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Shelemiah, the ancestor of Jehudi, live?
He lived during the Divided Monarchy, likely during the late 7th century BC, as he was the grandfather of an official active in 604 BC.
What does the name Shelemiah mean?
The name is Hebrew (Shelemyahu) and means 'Yahweh has recompensed' or 'Friend of God.'
Who was Shelemiah's father?
According to Jeremiah 36:14, Shelemiah was the son of Cushi.
Why is Shelemiah mentioned in the Bible?
He is mentioned to provide the formal genealogy for his grandson Jehudi, who was sent by the officials to bring Baruch the scribe before them.
Connected Figures
Categories
Mentions by Book
- Jeremiah1
Family & Relationships
Child
Jeremiah 36:14
Parent
Cushi, Great-Grandfather of Jehudi
Jeremiah 36:14
Others Named Shelemiah
Shelemiah, Father of IrijahJeremiah 37:13
Shelemiah was a man of the Divided Monarchy period whose son, Irijah, served as a captain of the guard during the siege of Jerusalem.
Shelemiah, son of BaniEzra 10:39
Shelemiah was an Israelite among those who returned from the Babylonian Exile and was identified as one who had married a foreign woman.
Shelemiah, Father of JehucalJeremiah 37:3
A man of the Divided Monarchy whose son served as a royal official under King Zedekiah during the final days of Jerusalem.
Shelemiah son of AbdeelJeremiah 36:26
A high-ranking official under King Jehoiakim tasked with the arrest of the prophet Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch.
Shelemiah, Son of BinnuiEzra 10:41
An Israelite during the post-exilic period who was among those required to separate from foreign wives under the reforms of Ezra.
Shelemiah the PriestNehemiah 13:13
A faithful priest appointed by Nehemiah as a treasurer to manage the storerooms and distribute supplies to the Levites in post-exilic Jerusalem.
Shelemiah, Father of HananiahNehemiah 3:30
Shelemiah was an Israelite during the Post-Exilic Period whose son, Hananiah, helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership.