Lives of Scripture

Shephatiah (also spelled Sephatiah) was one of the younger sons of godly King Jehoshaphat of Judah, named among six brothers -- Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. Their father had given each of them substantial gifts of silver, gold, and valuables, along with fortified cities in Judah to live in, while giving the kingdom itself to his firstborn, Jehoram, as custom required (2 Chronicles 21:2-3). But when Jehoshaphat died and Jehoram took the throne, he moved immediately and ruthlessly to eliminate any rivals: "Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel as well" (21:4). Shephatiah's death is recorded without embellishment, one clause among his murdered brothers -- Scripture's blunt, unflinching record of a king willing to shed his own family's blood to secure his crown.