Sisera to Zipporah
Important Old Testament People

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This page lists brief information on important Old Testament people. The individuals on this page include Sisera, King Solomon, Terah (Abraham's father), Zadok the High Priest, Zerubbabel, Zipporah (Moses' wife) and others.

Sisera
Judges 4:2 - 22, 5:20 - 30

Sisera was the army commander of Canaanite king Jabin (Judges 4:1 - 2). God allowed the king, because of Israel's sins, to oppress his people for twenty years. He then raised up Deborah and Barak to save his chosen from Jabin's yoke.

Deborah and Barak routed Sisera and his forces near Megiddo, causing him to flee the battlefield. Sisera ended up hiding in a tent, where a woman named Jael killed him by driving a tent peg through his head when he was sound asleep (Judges 4:17 - 18, 21 - 22)!

Solomon
2Samuel 5:14, 12:24, 1Kings 1:10 - 53, 2:1 - 46, etc.

Solomon was one of King David's sons through Bathsheba. After becoming king he asked the Eternal to give him "an understanding heart" with which to rule. He was given not only wisdom but riches and honor (1Kings 3:10 - 13) unlike any king before or since!

Solomon built Jerusalem's first temple. His 700 wives and 300 concubines turned his heart, when he was old, away from serving the Creator (1Kings 11). He wrote Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and most of the book of Proverbs.

Terah
Genesis 11:24 - 32, Joshua 24:2, 1Chronicles 1:26

Terah (Genesis 11:26) is the father of the Old Testament patriarch Abraham (initially named Abram). He is the 19th person in the physical lineage of Jesus Christ.

After Abraham's marriage to Sarah, Terah decided to move his family (which included Abraham's brothers Nahor and Haran, as well as Lot (the son of Haran)). They family migrated from Ur of the Chadees to a place that would be named after Haran. Abraham, Sarah and Lot, after Terah's death at the age of 205, left Haran and journeyed to the land of Canaan (Genesis 12).

Jael killing Sisera with tent peg
Jael killing Sisera with tent peg

Tiglath-Pileser III
2Kings 15:29, 16:7, 10

Tiglath-pileser III (also referred to as Pul in the Old Testament) was king of the mighty Assyrian Empire from 745 to 727 B.C. He was so powerful during his life that Menahem, king of Israel, paid him 1,000 talents of silver ($16.4 million dollars in today's money, assuming silver is $15 U.S. per troy ounce) not to attack him (2Kings 15:19 - 20)! Tiglath-pileser's reign was marked by a rapid expansion of Assyria's empire.

Zadok
2Samuel 8:17, 15:24 - 36, 17:15, 18:19 - 27, etc.

Apart from Aaron, Israel's first High Priest, Zadok is the most well known and influential Old Testament person to serve in such a position before God. During the latter part of David's reign he was one of the two primary priests used by the king (2Samuel 8:17).

Abiathar shared the duties of High Priest with Zadok when David was nearing the end of his life. Abiathar's support of David's son Adonijah to be the next king, however, instead of Solomon, cost him his leadership role when Solomon finally assumed the throne (1Kings 2:26 - 27). Zadok then became the sole High Priest in Israel, an ascension that was prophecied to occur (1Samuel 2:30 - 36).

After Zadok's death his descendants continued to be High Priests before God. In fact, because the Levites apostasized when Israel as a whole pursued idolatry, God demoted their responsibilities to being merely caretakers of the temple. Only the sons of Zadok were allowed to be High Priest and fulfill the position's special role before the Eternal (Ezekiel 44:10 - 16).

Zechariah
Zechariah 1:1, 7, 7:1, 8

Zechariah is one of the Old Testament's Minor Prophets. He foretold the coming of God's kingdom preceded by the rebuilding of his temple in Jerusalem.

Zephaniah
Zephaniah 1:1

Zephaniah is one of the Minor Prophets. He gave prophecies concerning God's indignation, Israel's repentance and salvation.

Zerubbabel
1Chronicles 3:19, Ezra 2:2, 3:2, 8, 4:2 - 3, 5:2, etc.

Zerubbabel led emancipated Jews, living in Babylon, to Jerusalem. He was named Prince and Governor of Judah. He also directed the rebuilding of Jerusalem's altar and temple (Ezra 1, 3).

Zilpah
Genesis 29:24, 30:9 - 12, 35:26, 37:2, 46:18

Zilpah was the handmaid of Leah who was one of Jacob's wives. When Leah thought she could have no more children she gave Zilpah to Jacob (Genesis 30). Zilpah gave birth to two sons of Jacob (Israel) named Gad and Asher.

Zipporah
Exodus 2:21, 4:25, 18:2

Zipporah was the daughter of a Midianite priest who was Moses' wife. She got angry at Moses for risking his life by not circumcising their son (Exodus 4:24 - 26). After she got angry Moses sent her and their two sons back to her Midianite father. They later reunite (Exodus 18:2 - 6) but nothing else is stated about her.

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List of Old Testament People

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