Original Word: יְהוֹצָדָק
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Yhowtsadaq
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-tsaw-dak'
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-tsaw-dawk')
KJV: Jehozadek, Josedech
NASB: Jehozadak, Jozadak
Word Origin: [from H3068 (יְהוֹוָה - LORD) and H6663 (צָּדַק - righteous)]

1. Jehovah-righted
2. Jehotsadak, an Israelite

Jehozadek, Josedech

From Yhovah and tsadaq; Jehovah-righted; Jehotsadak, an Israelite -- Jehozadek, Josedech. Compare Yowtsadaq.

see HEBREW Yhovah

see HEBREW tsadaq

see HEBREW Yowtsadaq

Word Origin
from Yhvh and tsedeq
Definition
"the LORD is righteous," father of Joshua the high priest
NASB Translation
Jehozadak (8), Jozadak (4).

יְהוֺצָדָק, יוֺצָדָק proper name, masculine (׳י is righteous; compare צִדְקִיָּהוּ Sabean צדקאל Hal¹⁹³) father of Joshua the high-priest, ׳יְהוֺ Haggai 1:1,12,14; Haggai 2:2,4; Zechariah 6:11; 1 Chronicles 5:40; 1 Chronicles 5:41; = ׳יוֺ Ezra 3:2,8; Ezra 5:2; Ezra 10:18; Nehemiah 12:26 (ᵐ5 Ἰωσαδακ, Ἰωσεδεκ).

Overview

Jehozadak appears eight times in the Old Testament record and stands as the pivotal link between the pre-exilic priesthood that perished with Solomon’s temple and the restored priesthood that served in the second temple. Though he never wore the high-priestly garments himself, his life-story preserves the legitimacy of the Aaronic line and demonstrates the faithfulness of God in preserving a remnant.

Genealogical Lineage

1 Chronicles 6 traces the high-priestly succession from Aaron to Jehozadak: “Azariah was the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak” (1 Chronicles 6:14). His father Seraiah was the high priest executed by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah (2 Kings 25:18–21). Jehozadak, therefore, represents the final generation of priests born in Judah before the exile and the first to live his entire adult life in Babylon.

Experience of Exile

“Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar” (1 Chronicles 6:15). The passage underscores two truths: the exile was a divine judgment, and Jehozadak’s deportation fulfilled it. While the book of Ezra focuses on those who returned, Jehozadak reminds readers that many faithful Israelites spent their strength in a foreign land, yet their names were not forgotten.

Father of Joshua the High Priest

Jehozadak’s lasting importance lies in his son, Joshua (called Jeshua in Ezra), who became the first post-exilic high priest. Every mention of Jehozadak after 1 Chronicles identifies him as Joshua’s father, anchoring Joshua’s authority in the lawful succession:

• “Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Haggai 1:1).
• “Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak” (Haggai 2:4).
• “Set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Zechariah 6:11).

Thus the priesthood re-established in Jerusalem was not a novel institution but a continuation of the line interrupted by judgment.

Role in the Second Temple Era

Although Jehozadak himself remained in Babylon, his name echoes throughout Haggai’s call to rebuild the temple. Every time the prophet exhorts Zerubbabel, he pairs him with “Joshua son of Jehozadak,” emphasizing that the civil and religious leaders together must finish the house of God (Haggai 1:12–14; 2:2–4). Jehozadak’s patronymic keeps the returned community mindful of their history: the sins that led to exile and the mercies that enabled their restoration.

Prophetic and Typological Significance

Zechariah’s crowning of Joshua (Zechariah 6:11–13) merges kingly and priestly imagery and points forward to the Messianic “Branch.” Because Jehozadak’s name means “Yahweh is righteous,” the prophetic sign-act quietly announces that God’s righteousness will be realized through a Priest-King yet to come. Jehozadak, therefore, stands behind a picture that ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true High Priest who bears both crown and mitre.

Key Biblical References

1 Chronicles 6:14–15; Haggai 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4; Zechariah 6:11.

Lessons for Today

1. God preserves His covenant purposes through judgment; exile did not nullify the priestly line.
2. Personal obscurity does not negate spiritual significance; Jehozadak’s greatest contribution was the faithfulness of his lineage.
3. The continuity of the priesthood from Jehozadak to Joshua models the continuity of God’s redemptive plan culminating in Christ.

וִיהוֹצָדָ֣ק ויהוצדק יְהוֹצָדָ֖ק יְהוֹצָדָ֛ק יְהוֹצָדָֽק׃ יְהוֹצָדָק֙ יְהוֹצָדָק֩ יהוצדק יהוצדק׃ vihotzaDak wî·hō·w·ṣā·ḏāq wîhōwṣāḏāq yə·hō·w·ṣā·ḏāq yehotzaDak yəhōwṣāḏāqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts