The name Shephatiah belongs to several men, and the stories around them are short. One is a son of David, born in Hebron to his wife Abital. Others are fathers of families who returned from exile: three hundred seventy and two descendants in Ezra’s list, and eighty men more under Zebadiah. One more Shephatiah is among the princes who heard Jeremiah telling the people to surrender, and who asked the king to put him to death because he weakened the hands of the soldiers. Jeremiah 38 shows what that cost the prophet. The earlier lists are in Ezra 2 and Ezra 8.
6 verses
And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
Matthew George Easton, 1897
Judged of the Lord. (1.) A son of David by Abital (2 Sam. 3:4).
(2.) A Benjamite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:5).
(3.) A Simeonite prince in David’s time (1 Chr. 27:16).
(4.) One of Jehoshaphat’s sons (2 Chr. 21:2).
(5.) Ezra 2:4.
(6.) Ezra 2:57; Neh. 7:59.
(7.) One of the princes who urged the putting of Jeremiah to death (Jer. 38:1-4).
William Smith, 1884
(judged by Jehovah).
(1.) The fifth son of David. (2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3) (B.C. about 1050.)
(2.) The family of Shephatiah, 372 in number, returned with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:4; Nehemiah 7:9) see also Ezra 8:8 (B.C. 536.)
(3.) The family of another Shephatiah, who came up with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:4)
(4.) A descendant of Judah. (Nehemiah 11:4)
(5.) One of the princes of Judah who counselled Zedekiah to put Jeremiah in the dungeon. (Jeremiah 38:1) (B.C. 589.)
(6.) One of the Benjamite warriors who joined David in his retreat at Ziklag. (1 Chronicles 12:5) (B.C. 1054.)
(7.) Chief of the Simeonites in the reign of David. (1 Chronicles 37:16)
(8.) Son of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 21:2) (B.C. 887.)