Question:

Quick question for you regarding Matthew 23:35, Is this a copyist error? Is this referring to Zechariah son of Jehoiada?

Answer:

It is possible that this is a copyist’s error, substituting Berekiah for Jehoiada. I cannot rule that out. More likely, though, there was an actual Zechariah, son of Berekiah who was killed, but whose murder is not recorded in the Bible. The Jews killed many people unrighteously over the years. A good candidate is Zechariah, son of Berekiah who was the author of the book Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1,7). It just so happens he has the right name, but the Bible does not record how he died. But, given his intense denouncement of the sinful behavior of the Jewish leaders, it would not be a shock to anyone to learn that he was murdered by the Jewish leaders.

John Oakes

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