Asrikam
Asrikam – palace official, Davidic descendant, and other name bearers in the Old Testament
Also known as: Azrikam
Asrikam is a name borne by at least four different individuals in the Old Testament, spread across several centuries. The most historically prominent was the palace official (Hebrew nagid habbayit) who served under King Ahaz of Judah. He was killed by the Ephraimite Zichri during the Syro-Ephraimitic War around 735 BC, along with the king's son Maaseiah and the royal administrator Elkanah—an event that illustrates the war's dramatic consequences for the Judean court. In David's genealogy in 1 Chronicles, another Asrikam is mentioned as a son of Neariah and a descendant of King David through Zerubbabel's line, placing him in the post-exilic period and linking him to the royal Davidic lineage. A third Asrikam is recorded as a son of Azel among Saul's descendants in the tribe of Benjamin. Finally, a fourth Asrikam is mentioned in a Levitical context as an ancestor of Hashub, one of the Levites who settled in Jerusalem and resumed temple service after returning from the Babylonian exile.
Family
Key events
Asrikam as the son of Azel
In the genealogy of Saul's descendants in the tribe of Benjamin, Asrikam is mentioned as one of the sons of Azel. The list is repeated in 1 Chron 9:44 in connection with the population of Jerusalem.
Asrikam killed as palace official during the Syro-Ephraimite War
During the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 735 BC), Asrikam, the palace official of King Ahaz of Judah, was killed by the Ephraimite warrior Zikri. He was slain along with the king's son Maaseiah and the royal administrator Elkanah, marking a humiliating defeat for Judah.
Asrikam in David's lineage through Zerubbabel
Asrikam is mentioned as the son of Neariah and a descendant of King David through Zerubbabel in the Davidic genealogy. He is the brother of Eljoenai and Hizkia.
Asrikam among the Levites after the exile
An Asrikam is mentioned as an ancestor of the Levitical servant Hasshub in the lists of those who settled in Jerusalem after returning from Babylon. He appears in parallel genealogical lists in Chronicles and Nehemiah.