Bible Dictionary
Remaliah
Remaliah was the father of Pekah, who became king of Israel after conspiring against Pekahiah. Prophets sometimes referred to Pekah contemptuously as “the son of Remaliah.”
Definition
Remaliah was the father of Pekah, who conspired against Pekahiah and took the throne of Israel. The name is associated with being adorned or protected by the Lord.
Biblical Usage
Prophetic references speak of Pekah as “the son of Remaliah,” sometimes in a contemptuous manner. Remaliah himself is known chiefly through his son and the political events surrounding Pekah’s reign.
Historical Background
The supplied material suggests that the reference to Pekah as Remaliah’s son may have been intended as a slur on Remaliah’s humble origin.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Adorned by the Lord, the father of Pekah, who conspired successfully against Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:25, 27, 30, 32, 37; Isa. 7:1, 4, 5, 9; 8:6).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(protected by Jehovah). The father of Pekah, captain of Pekahiah; king of Israel, who slew his master and usurped his throne. (2 Kings 15:25-37; 16:1,5; 2 Chronicles 28:6; Isaiah 7:1-9; 8:6) (B.C. 756.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>rem-a-li'-a (remalyahu, "whom Yahweh has adorned"): The father of Pekah (2Ki 15:25 ff; Isa 7:4 ff; 8:6). The contemptuous allusion to Pekah as "the son of Remaliah" in Isa 7:4 (similarly "the son of Kish," 1Sa 10:11) may be a slur on Remaliah's humble origin.</p>