apparent discrepancy between this verse and Genesis 23:20, to read Acts
7:16 thus: “And they [i.e., our fathers] were carried over into Sychem, and
laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons
of Emmor [the son] of Sychem.” In this way the purchase made by
Abraham is not to be confounded with the purchase made by Jacob
subsequently in the same district. Of this purchase by Abraham there is no
direct record in the Old Testament. (See TOMB.)
- SERAH abundance; princess, the daughter of Asher and grand-daughter of
Jacob (Genesis 46:17); called also Sarah (Numbers 26:46; R.V., “Serah”). - SERAIAH soldier of Jehovah. (1.) The father of Joab (1 Chronicles 4:13,
14).
(2.) The grandfather of Jehu (1 Chronicles 4:35).
(3.) One of David’s scribes or secretaries (2 Samuel 8:17).
(4.) A Netophathite (Jeremiah 40:8), a chief priest of the time of Zedekiah.
He was carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, and there put to
death (2 Kings 25:18, 23).
(5.) Ezra 2:2.
(6.) Father of Ezra the scribe (7:1).
(7.) A ruler of the temple (Nehemiah 11:11).
(8.) A priest of the days of Jehoiakim (Nehemiah 12:1, 12).
(9.) The son of Neriah. When Zedekiah made a journey to Babylon to do
homage to Nebuchadnezzar, Seraiah had charge of the royal gifts to be
presented on that occasion. Jeremiah took advantage of the occasion, and
sent with Seraiah a word of cheer to the exiles in Babylon, and an
announcement of the doom in store for that guilty city. The roll containing
this message (Jeremiah 50:1-8) Seraiah was to read to the exiles, and then,
after fixing a stone to it, was to throw it into the Euphrates, uttering, as it
sank, the prayer recorded in Jeremiah 51:59-64. Babylon was at this time
in the height of its glory, the greatest and most powerful monarchy in the
world. Scarcely seventy years elapsed when the words of the prophet
were all fulfilled. Jeremiah 51:59 is rendered in the Revised Version, “Now
Seraiah was chief chamberlain,” instead of “was a quiet prince,” as in the
Authorized Version.