Zidkijah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Zidkijah appears in the Book of Nehemiah as one of the men who sealed a covenant made by the people of Israel during the period of restoration after the Babylonian exile. The setting is Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah, who served as governor (called “the Tirshatha”) under the Persian king. Under Nehemiah’s leadership, the people had rebuilt the broken walls of the city despite opposition, and they had gathered to commit themselves afresh to obeying God’s law. As part of that solemn occasion, a written agreement was prepared, and its leading men affixed their seals to it as a binding witness.
Nehemiah 10:1 names Zidkijah directly: “Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah.” He is listed immediately after Nehemiah himself, which suggests he held a place of prominence among those who put their seal to the document. The source note identifies him as one of the men who helped repair the walls of Jerusalem during Nehemiah’s time. His sealing of the covenant was a public act of commitment, binding him and the community to the terms of the agreement before God.
Beyond this single verse, Scripture records nothing further about Zidkijah—no words, no family line, no later deeds. He appears once in the King James Bible, at the head of a list of covenant signers. What is said of him is simply that he sealed the covenant alongside Nehemiah. That one act places him among the leaders who stood publicly for faithfulness to God in a critical hour of Israel’s restoration.
The Name
The name Zidkijah is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is generally understood from its components. It is related to the Hebrew word for “righteousness” (tsedeq) joined with the divine name, yielding a sense something like “Yahweh is my righteousness” or “righteousness of the LORD.” This is consistent with the pattern of other Hebrew names in the same family, such as Zedekiah, which carries a similar sense. The meaning is reasonably well established rather than obscure, though the exact nuance can vary among scholars. What is clear is that the name honors God as the source of righteousness.
A Closing Thought
Zidkijah’s story is told in a single verse, yet that verse records something that mattered: he put his seal on a promise to follow God. Most of us will never be remembered in a list of notable names, but we are all asked, in ordinary ways, to bind ourselves publicly to what we believe. Zidkijah’s quiet act of commitment, standing beside Nehemiah at a decisive moment, reminds us that faithfulness is often recorded not in great deeds but in the simple decision to say, before God and others, “I will obey.” That is a legacy worth leaving.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 10:1 — Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,