Lives of Scripture

Amariah served as chief priest in Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and appears by name in the account of Jehoshaphat's judicial reform (1 Chronicles 6:11; 2 Chronicles 19:4-11). Jehoshaphat, having toured his kingdom turning the people back to the God of their fathers, appointed judges throughout Judah's fortified cities and established a central court in Jerusalem staffed by Levites, priests, and heads of Israel's families to resolve disputes brought from around the land (19:4-8). He charged them directly to act "in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly," warning that partiality and bribery had no place in judgment that ultimately belonged to God (19:6-7, 9). Within that structure, Jehoshaphat named Amariah the chief priest to preside over every matter "pertaining to the LORD," while Zebadiah, a civil official, oversaw matters concerning "the king's affairs," with Levites serving as officers under them both (19:11). Jehoshaphat closed the charge with a word of encouragement: "Act resolutely, and the LORD be with the upright." Amariah is not shown rendering any specific verdict in the text, but his appointment reflects Jehoshaphat's broader reform -- an attempt, imperfect like every human king's efforts, to root Judah's justice system explicitly in reverence for God rather than in political convenience.