{
  "id": "dict_002129",
  "term": "Gemariah",
  "slug": "gemariah",
  "letter": "G",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Gemariah is a biblical personal name borne by at least two men in the Old Testament, especially figures mentioned in Jeremiah. It is not a theological term.",
  "simple_one_line": "A biblical male name, best known from Jeremiah’s accounts of Judah’s officials.",
  "tooltip_text": "A Hebrew personal name appearing in Jeremiah, used for more than one man.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Jeremiah",
    "Shaphan",
    "Hilkiah",
    "Baruch",
    "Jehoiakim",
    "Zedekiah"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Biblical names",
    "Jeremiah",
    "Judah (kingdom)"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Gemariah is a biblical personal name, not a doctrine or theological concept. In Jeremiah, the name is attached to at least two different men connected with Judah’s royal and prophetic era.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Biblical personal name; at least two men named Gemariah are mentioned in Jeremiah.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Not a theological term",
    "Best known in Jeremiah",
    "Associated with Judah’s officials during the late monarchy",
    "Multiple individuals may share the name"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Gemariah refers to a biblical personal name borne by more than one individual in the Old Testament. The best-known references are to Gemariah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah in Jeremiah.",
  "description_academic_full": "Gemariah is a Hebrew personal name used for at least two men mentioned in the book of Jeremiah. One Gemariah, son of Shaphan, is connected with the public reading of Jeremiah’s scroll in the days of Jehoiakim. Another, Gemariah son of Hilkiah, appears among the envoys sent to Babylon in the reign of Zedekiah. Because the word identifies persons rather than a doctrine, theme, or theological concept, it belongs as a biblical-person entry rather than a theological-term entry.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The name appears in the historical setting of Jeremiah’s ministry, during the final decades of the kingdom of Judah. The individuals named Gemariah are linked to royal officials, temple-related activity, and the political turmoil surrounding Babylonian pressure on Judah.",
  "background_historical_context": "Jeremiah’s references place these men in the late monarchic period of Judah, when officials, scribes, and court messengers played important roles in administration and diplomacy. The name surfaces in a setting marked by prophetic warning and national crisis.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "As with many Hebrew names, Gemariah likely reflects a confessional meaning centered on the Lord’s action or completion. In the ancient Judahite setting, personal names often carried theological significance even when the name itself was not a doctrinal term.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Jeremiah 29:3",
    "Jeremiah 36:10-12, 25"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Jeremiah 36:11-12",
    "Jeremiah 36:25"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew form commonly understood as Gemaryahu or Gemariah; the name likely carries the sense of the Lord having completed or accomplished something.",
  "theological_significance": "The name itself carries little direct doctrinal weight, but the people who bore it appear in narratives that highlight God’s prophetic word, Judah’s accountability, and the historical outworking of divine judgment and warning.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "This is a proper name, so its meaning is descriptive rather than conceptual. Its significance comes from the historical persons who bore it and the events in which they participated.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not assume every occurrence of Gemariah refers to the same individual. The name is shared by more than one person, and the references should be read in their immediate historical context.",
  "major_views_note": "No major doctrinal views attach to the name itself; discussion centers on identification and historical context.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry identifies a biblical person name. It should not be used to build doctrine beyond the historical reliability of the biblical narrative.",
  "practical_significance": "Gemariah reminds readers that Scripture names real people in real historical events. Even lesser-known figures can be part of the Bible’s record of prophetic warning, civic responsibility, and national decision.",
  "meta_description": "Gemariah is a biblical personal name borne by at least two men in Jeremiah, including officials in Judah’s late monarchy.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/gemariah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/gemariah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}