<strong>SHEPHATIAH</strong> (shĕf'a-tī'a, Heb. <em>shephatyâh, the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> is judge</em>)<br /><br />

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<strong>SHEPHATIAH</strong> <strong>shef ə ti’ ə</strong> (<span class="hebrew">שְׁפַטְיָ֥ה</span>, <em>Jehovah has judged</em>). 1. Fifth son of David while he dwelt in Hebron. His mother was Abital (<bibleref ref="2Sam.3.4">2 Sam 3:4</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.3.3">1 Chron 3:3</bibleref>). When David became king he made Hebron his capital for seven years before moving to Jerusalem.<br /><br />

2. A Benjaminite, the father of Meshullam and son of Reuel. Meshullam, a head of his father’s house, was one of the first to return to Jerusalem from the <span class="auto-link">[[Babylonian Captivity]]</span> (<bibleref ref="1Chr.9.8">1 Chron 9:8</bibleref>).<br /><br />

3. A Benjaminite from Haruph, who joined David’s band while the latter dwelt at Ziklag to escape Saul’s attempt to take him (<bibleref ref="1Chr.12.5">12:5</bibleref>).<br /><br />

4. The son of Maacah, a prince over Simeonites while David was king (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.16">27:16</bibleref>). He belonged to one of the divisions responsible for the affairs of the kingdom, serving a month at a time (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.1">27:1</bibleref>).

5. A son of Jehoshaphat and brother of Jehoram whom Jehoshaphat made his successor as king of Judah (<bibleref ref="2Chr.21.2">2 Chron 21:2</bibleref>). Jehoshaphat accompanied this move with lavish gifts to Jehoram’s brother, but when the new king was established he had all of his brothers put to death (<bibleref ref="2Chr.21.3">21:3</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="2Chr.21.4">4</bibleref>).

6. The father of a family, 372 of whom returned to Jerusalem from Babylon in the return under Joshua and Zerubbabel in 538 <span class="small-caps">b.c.</span> (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.2-Ezra.2.4">Ezra 2:2-4</bibleref>). Eighty-one more members of this family with their head returned to Jerusalem from captivity under Ezra in 457 <span class="small-caps">b.c.</span> (<bibleref ref="Ezra.8.8">8:8</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Esd.8.34">1 Esd 8:34</bibleref>). <bibleref ref="1Esd.5.9">1 Esdras 5:9</bibleref> places the number of the first return at 472 and the second number at 71.<br /><br />

7. Solomon’s servant whose descendants were among the 392 returning to Jerusalem under Joshua and Zerubbabel in 538 <span class="small-caps">b.c.</span> (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.57">Ezra 2:57</bibleref>, <bibleref ref="Ezra.2.58">58</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.7.59">Neh 7:59</bibleref>).<br /><br />

8. A descendant of Perez and son of Mahalalel. Shephatiah’s descendant, Athaiah, a Judahite, dwelt in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.4">Neh 11:4</bibleref>).<br /><br />

9. The son of Mattan and a contemporary of Jeremiah, who witnessed Jeremiah’s warning concerning the Babylonian Captivity. The verdict of the princes was that Jeremiah was worthy of death (<bibleref ref="Jer.38.1-Jer.38.4">Jer 38:1-4</bibleref>).<br /><br />

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

shef-a-ti’-a, she-fat’-ya (shephaTyah, "Yah has judged"):<br /><br />

(1) A son of David, by Abital (<bibleref ref="2Sam.3.4">2Sa 3:4</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Chr.3.3">1Ch 3:3</bibleref>).

(2) A Benjamite, father of Meshullam, of Jerusalem (<bibleref ref="1Chr.9.8">1Ch 9:8</bibleref>).<br /><br />

(3) A Benjamite, who joined David at Ziklag (<bibleref ref="1Chr.12.5">1Ch 12:5</bibleref>).

(4) A prince of the Simeonites in the time of David (<bibleref ref="1Chr.27.16">1Ch 27:16</bibleref>).

(5) A son of King Jehoshaphat (<bibleref ref="2Chr.21.2">2Ch 21:2</bibleref>).

(6) A family, 372 of whom returned with Zerubbabel (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.4">Ezr 2:4</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.7.9">Ne 7:9</bibleref>); 80 more males of this family, with their head, returned with Ezra (<bibleref ref="Ezra.8.8">Ezr 8:8</bibleref>).

(7) A servant of Solomon, 392 of whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel (<bibleref ref="Ezra.2.57-Ezra.2.70">Ezr 2:57 f</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.7.59-Neh.7.73">Ne 7:59 f</bibleref>); "Saphat" in 1 Esdras 5:9 and "Saphatias" in 1 Esdras 8:34.

(8) A Perezzite (Judahite), some of whose descendants dwelt at Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.4">Ne 11:4</bibleref>).<br /><br />

(9) A son of Mattan, a contemporary of Jeremiah (<bibleref ref="Jer.38.1">Jer 38:1</bibleref>).<br /><br />