Jaziz is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jaziz was an overseer of King David’s flocks, named in the roster of David’s officials recorded in 1 Chronicles. His entry is brief: “And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David’s” (1 Chronicles 27:31). He is identified by the descriptor “the Hagerite,” a term that likely marks him as a descendant of Hagar or as a member of a people group associated with that name. Scripture does not elaborate on his lineage beyond this designation.
Jaziz appears in a chapter devoted to the organization of David’s kingdom. The chapter lists military commanders, tribal leaders, and stewards over various royal assets—treasuries, storehouses, fields, vineyards, olive trees, herds, camels, and donkeys. Jaziz’s assignment placed him over the flocks, the sheep and goats that formed a significant part of David’s wealth and provision. He was one of several men entrusted with “the substance which was king David’s,” meaning he managed property and resources that belonged to the king.
What Scripture says of Jaziz is limited to this single verse. He is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, and no narrative recounts his actions, character, or family. He stands as one name among many in an administrative list, yet the text calls him and his fellow overseers “rulers of the substance which was king David’s.” His role was real and necessary: someone had to tend, manage, and account for the king’s flocks. In the broader story of Israel, Jaziz served quietly in the infrastructure that supported David’s reign.
The Name
The name Jaziz appears in the Hebrew text of 1 Chronicles as יָזִיז (Yaziz). Its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text itself, and Scripture offers no explanation of it. Some Hebrew names are transparent in meaning because they are built from common roots or appear in wordplays within the text; Jaziz is not one of these. The name may be related to a root suggesting “he will move” or “he will shine,” but such suggestions are scholarly conjectures rather than established facts. Because the meaning is not well established, it is best to say so plainly rather than assign a meaning the text does not give.
A Closing Thought
Jaziz never speaks, never performs a miracle, and never appears outside a single list. Yet he was entrusted with part of David’s substance, and his work helped sustain the king’s household and the life of the nation. Most of God’s people are like Jaziz—faithful in ordinary, unseen assignments. The Bible does not celebrate his name, but it records it. That is a quiet reminder that God sees the steward as well as the king, and that the flocks mattered as much as the throne. Faithfulness in small things is never wasted in His sight.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 27:31 — And over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David’s.