Original Word: יַאֲזַנְיָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ya'azanyah
Pronunciation: yah-az-an-YAH-hoo
Phonetic Spelling: (yah-az-an-yaw')
KJV: Jaazaniah
NASB: Jaazaniah
Word Origin: [from H238 (אָזַן - give ear) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. heard of Jah
2. Jaazanjah, the name of four Israelites

Jaazaniah

Or Ya.azanyahuw {yah-az-an-yaw'-hoo}; from 'azan and Yahh; heard of Jah; Jaazanjah, the name of four Israelites -- Jaazaniah. Compare Yzanyah.

see HEBREW 'azan

see HEBREW Yahh

see HEBREW Yzanyah

Word Origin
from azan and Yah
Definition
"Yah hears," the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Jaazaniah (4).

יַאֲזַנְיָ֫הוּ proper name, masculine (Yahweh heareth) — so 2 Kings 25:23; Ezekiel 8:11; יַאֲזַנְיָה Jeremiah 35:3; Ezekiel 11:1; contracted (וִ)יזַנְיָהוּ Jeremiah 40:8, (וִ)יזַנְיָה Jeremiah 42:1 —

1 a JudÊan 2 Kings 25:33; Jeremiah 40:8.

2 an elder of Israel, son of Shaphan Ezekiel 8:11.

3 son of Jeremiah Jeremiah 35:3.

4 a leading JudÊan, son of Azur Ezekiel 11:1.

5 a leading JudÊan Jeremiah 42:1 (= עֲזַרְיָה Jeremiah 43:2).

Overview

The name Jaazaniah appears four times in the Hebrew Scriptures, attached to four men who stand at critical junctures in Judah’s collapse and exile. Their accounts span the spectrum from exemplary obedience to brazen apostasy, offering a composite portrait of leadership tested by crisis.

Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite – A Captain in the Aftermath of 586 BC

Reference: 2 Kings 25:23 (parallel spelling Jezaniah in Jeremiah 40–43)

After Nebuchadnezzar razed Jerusalem and installed Gedaliah as governor, Jaazaniah joined the surviving guerrilla captains who “came to Gedaliah at Mizpah” (2 Kings 25:23). His appearance signals an initial willingness to cooperate with the Babylonian-appointed administration and seek stability for the remnant. When Ishmael assassinated Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41), Jaazaniah’s later movements are unrecorded; yet his inclusion among the captains shows the fractured state of Judah’s leadership—caught between prudent submission to divine discipline (Jeremiah 27) and the lure of further rebellion.

Ministry Significance: Jaazaniah’s brief cameo underscores the prophet Jeremiah’s call for humble acceptance of God’s chastening. Military strength without spiritual discernment offered no refuge; only obedience to the word of the LORD could safeguard the remnant (Jeremiah 42:9-17).

Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah – Leader of the Rechabites

Reference: Jeremiah 35:3

Jeremiah ushered “Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers” into a Temple chamber and offered them wine. Their refusal affirmed their family’s centuries-old vow: “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab son of Rechab, our forefather, commanded us” (Jeremiah 35:6). The prophet used their steadfastness to shame Judah’s chronic disobedience and to promise the Rechabites perpetual service before the LORD (Jeremiah 35:18-19).

Ministry Significance: This Jaazaniah embodies covenant fidelity. His obedience to an earthly ancestor magnified Judah’s failure to heed the heavenly Father, proving that wholehearted devotion was still attainable amid national apostasy.

Jaazaniah son of Shaphan – An Elder Practicing Temple Abominations

Reference: Ezekiel 8:11

In a vision Ezekiel beheld seventy elders burning incense to idols, “with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them” (Ezekiel 8:11). The irony is stark: Shaphan had been instrumental in Josiah’s reform (2 Kings 22), yet his son now leads clandestine idolatry inside the very Temple recently purified.

Ministry Significance: Heritage cannot guarantee holiness. A past generation’s revival can be squandered in a single generation when leaders abandon the word of God for cultural syncretism.

Jaazaniah son of Azzur – A Prince Giving Wicked Counsel

Reference: Ezekiel 11:1; cf. 11:2-13

Carried by the Spirit to the eastern gate, Ezekiel met “Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people” (Ezekiel 11:1). They reassured Jerusalem’s inhabitants that the city was a “cooking pot” keeping them safe (Ezekiel 11:3), directly contradicting Jeremiah’s warnings of judgment. The prophet denounced their counsel; Pelatiah died on the spot, prefiguring the downfall of every promise that contradicts God’s revealed word.

Ministry Significance: False optimism cloaked in patriotic rhetoric lulls a nation into deeper rebellion. Spiritual leaders bear grave responsibility to align their counsel with divine revelation, not popular sentiment.

Theological Reflections

1. Individual accountability. The four Jaazanias prove that divine evaluation rests on personal faithfulness, not on name, bloodline, or position.
2. Leadership under judgment. Whether military captain, clan head, elder, or prince, each faced the same prophetic word. Positions of influence intensify the consequences of obedience or rebellion.
3. Continuity of God’s purposes. Even amid collapse, the LORD preserved a faithful remnant (the Rechabites) and confronted sin (the elders and princes), demonstrating unwavering covenant oversight.

Practical Lessons

• Fidelity is possible in the worst of times; the Rechabite Jaazaniah calls believers to uncompromising obedience.
• Spiritual complacency can grow within reforming families; the elder Jaazaniah warns against resting on yesterday’s victories.
• Counsel offered to God’s people must submit to Scripture; the princely Jaazaniah exposes the peril of self-serving optimism.
• When chastening comes, humble submission, not armed resistance, secures God’s favor; the captain Jaazaniah’s era illustrates the futility of defying the divine decree.

Thus the occurrences of Jaazaniah collectively portray the choices before every generation—whether to heed the LORD’s voice or to trust in human schemes—choices that still determine destinies today.

וְיַֽאֲזַנְיָ֙הוּ֙ וְיַאֲזַנְיָ֨הוּ ויאזניהו יַאֲזַנְיָ֤ה יַאֲזַנְיָ֧ה יאזניה veyaazanYahu wə·ya·’ă·zan·yā·hū wəya’ăzanyāhū ya’ăzanyāh ya·’ă·zan·yāh yaazanYahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts