Original Word: Ζαχαρίας
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Zacharias
Pronunciation: zah-khah-REE-as
Phonetic Spelling: (dzakh-ar-ee'-as)
KJV: Zacharias
NASB: Zacharias, Zechariah
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H2148 (זְכַריָה זְכַריָהוּ - Zechariah))]

1. Zacharias (i.e. Zechariah), the name of two Israelites

Zacharias.

Of Hebrew origin (Zkaryah); Zacharias (i.e. Zechariah), the name of two Israelites -- Zacharias.

see HEBREW Zkaryah

Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Zekaryah
Definition
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, the son of Barachiah
NASB Translation
Zacharias (9), Zechariah (2).

STRONGS NT 2197: Ζαχαρίας

Ζαχαρίας, Ζαχαριου, ὁ (זְכַרְיָה and זְכַריָהוּ i. e. whom Jehovah remembered), Zacharias or Zachariah or Zechariah;

1. a priest, the father of John the Baptist: Luke 1:5, 12f, 18, 21, 40, 59, 67; Luke 3:2.

2. a prophet, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was stoned to death in the middle of the ninth century before Christ in the court of the temple: 2 Chronicles 24:19ff; Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51. Yet this Zachariah is called in Matthew, the passage cited the son not of Jehoiada but of Barachiah. But most interpreters now think (and correctly) that the Evangelist confounded him with that more noted Zachariah the prophet who lived a little after the exile, and was the son of Barachiah (cf. Zechariah 1:1), and whose prophecies have a place in the canon. For Christ, to prove that the Israelites throughout their sacred history had been stained with the innocent blood of righteous men, adduced the first and the last example of the murders committed on good men; for the books of the Chronicles stand last in the Hebrew canon. But opinions differ about this Zachariah. For according to an ancient tradition, which the Greek church follows (and which has been adopted by Chr. W. Müller in the Theol. Studien und Kritiken for 1841, p. 673ff, and formerly by Hilgenfeld, krit. Untersuchungen üb. die Evangg. Justins, etc., p. 155 and die Evangg. nach ihrer Entstehung, p. 100), Zachariah the father of John the Baptist is meant (cf. Protevangelium Jacobi,

c. 23); others think (so quite recently Keim, iii. 184 (English translation, see 218), cf. Weiss, das Matthäusevang., p. 499) a certain Zachariah son of Baruch (according to another reading Βαρισκαιου), who during the war between the Jews and the Romans was slain by the zealots ἐν μέσῳ τῷ ἱερῷ, as Josephus, b. j. 4, 5, 4 relates. Those who hold this opinion believe, either that Jesus divinely predicted this murder and in the prophetic style said ἐφονεύσατε for φονευσετε (cf. Buttmann, § 137, 4; Winers Grammar, 273 (256) n.; § 40, 5 b.), or that the Evangelist, writing after the destruction of Jerusalem, by an anachronism put this murder into the discourse of Jesus. These inventions are fully refuted by Fritzsche on Matthew, the passage cited, and Bleek, Erklär. der drei ersten Evangg. ii., p. 177ff; cf. Hilgenfeld, Einl. in d. N. T., p. 487f; (and Dr. James Morison, Commentary on Matthew, the passage cited; B. D., under Zechariah 6, and under Zechariah 11).

Overview of New Testament Occurrences

Strong’s Greek 2197 designates the name Zechariah in eleven New Testament verses. Nine appear in Luke concerning the priest who fathered John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-67; 3:2) and his household (Luke 1:40). Two appear in the statements of Jesus about the murdered prophet Zechariah (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51). In both storylines the name draws together themes of priesthood, prophecy, covenant faithfulness, and accountability.

Zechariah Father of John the Baptist

1. Luke’s introductory notice (Luke 1:5) situates Zechariah within “the division of Abijah,” rooting him in the established priestly order founded by Aaronic descent (1 Chronicles 24:10). His marriage to Elizabeth, herself “a descendant of Aaron,” highlights a household steeped in covenant ministry.
2. The angelic visitation within the temple (Luke 1:8-13) occurs while Zechariah offers incense—an act symbolizing intercessory prayer for the nation. The divine response, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13), unites personal longing (for a child) with national expectation (for redemption).
3. Zechariah’s doubt (“How can I be sure of this?” — Luke 1:18) and consequent muteness exemplify the seriousness of unbelief even among the godly. Yet his enforced silence becomes a nine-month meditation that yields prophetic praise rather than resentment.
4. At John’s circumcision, relatives assume the child will be named after his father, but Zechariah affirms the angelic directive: “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). Obedient speech immediately replaces imposed silence.
5. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah utters the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79). The hymn traces God’s faithfulness from “the house of His servant David” to the dawn of messianic salvation and the ministry of the forerunner. Notably, the song blends priestly vocabulary (“horn of salvation,” “remission of sins”) with prophetic vision, illustrating the convergence of the two offices in the dawning new covenant.
6. Luke 3:2 recalls Zechariah in the context of John’s public commission, reminding readers that the forerunner’s authority rests not in wilderness asceticism alone but in a heritage shaped by temple service, angelic promise, and prophetic affirmation.

Ministry Lessons from Zechariah the Priest

• Persistent prayer within ordinary duty invites extraordinary divine intervention.
• God disciplines unbelief but restores the repentant to fuller usefulness.
• True spiritual leadership extends beyond ritual precision to prophetic proclamation of redemption.
• Parental faithfulness shapes children positioned for pivotal roles in God’s redemptive plan.

Zechariah Son of Berechiah: The Martyred Prophet

Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51 quote Jesus indicting His generation “from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar” (Matthew 23:35). Whether the reference is to the prophet of the post-exilic book or to Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), the point is clear: Israel’s history of rejecting God’s messengers culminates in the impending rejection of the Messiah Himself.

From Abel to Zechariah: Canonical Bookends

Abel’s death appears near the opening of Genesis; Zechariah’s murder stands near the close of the Hebrew canon (2 Chronicles). The pair therefore frames the entire Old Testament story, underscoring the long-standing pattern of violence against the righteous and justifying divine judgment pronounced by Jesus.

Theological Significance

Priest and prophet bearing the same name serve as complementary witnesses. The first announces the imminent arrival of salvation; the second embodies the cost of resisting divine truth. Together they affirm that God both remembers His covenant and holds humanity accountable for its response.

Applications for the Church

• Expectant prayer and obedient faith open doors for fresh movements of the Spirit.
• Worship and witness are inseparable; temple service must issue in prophetic proclamation.
• Historical memory of persecuted saints should deepen resolve for steadfast testimony.
• God’s unfolding plan never bypasses family lines or vocational settings; He works through consecrated households and ordinary duties to advance redemption.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 2197 gathers into one name a account of answered prayer, Spirit-filled prophecy, and martyr-seared warning. Zechariah the priest exemplifies the joy of believing fulfillment; Zechariah the prophet illustrates the peril of hardened unbelief. Both point unerringly to Jesus Christ, in whom God’s remembrance of His people reaches its climax and every faithful servant finds ultimate vindication.

Ζαχαρια Ζαχαρία Ζαχαριαν Ζαχαρίαν Ζαχαριας Ζαχαρίας Ζαχαριου Ζαχαρίου Zacharia Zacharía Zacharian Zacharían Zacharias Zacharías Zachariou ZacharíouInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts