[Zā'dŏk] – righteous, justified.

The Man Who Remained Loyal

1. The son of Ahitub and father of Ahimaaz, a priest in David’s time

2 Sam. 8:17: – ¹⁷ Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary.

2 Sam. 15:24-36: – ²⁴ Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.
²⁶ But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons.
²⁸ I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
³⁰ But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.
³¹ Now David had been told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “LORD, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”
³² When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head.
³³ David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be a burden to me.
³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.
³⁵ Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace.
³⁶ Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.”

2 Sam. 17:15: – ¹⁵ Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the elders of Israel to do such and such, but I have advised them to do so and so.

2 Sam. 18:19: – ¹⁹ Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the LORD has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.”

2 Sam. 18:27: – ²⁷ The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”

2 Sam. 19:11: – ¹¹ King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Ask the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

2 Sam. 20:25: – ²⁵ Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests

Other references may be found in 1 Kings, 1, 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Ezekiel.

This Zadok was appointed priest by Solomon in the place of Abiathar, because of his own loyalty (1 Kings 1:8: - ⁸ But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah), and the disloyalty of Abiathar (1 Kings 1:7: - ⁷ Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support).

Zadok was the founder of an important part of the priesthood and from Solomon’s time his descendants constituted the most prominent family among the order of priests.

As a young man, he was mighty of valor (1 Chron. 12:27, 28: – ²⁷ including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron, with 3,700 men.  ²⁸ and Zadok, a brave young warrior, with 22 officers from his family).

As a friend of David, Zadok remained true to him during Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15:24-29: - ²⁴ Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again.
²⁶ But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
²⁷ The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons.
²⁸ I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there).

As a priest he remained faithful to David although his colleague deserted the king (1 Kings 1:7, 8). For his loyalty he retained his high and holy office till his death (1 Kings 2:26, 27: - ²⁶ To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign LORD before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships.” ²⁷ So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD, fulfilling the word the LORD had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli).

2. The father of Jerusha, wife of Uzziah and mother of Jotham,king of Judah

2 Kings 15:33: – ³³ He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

2 Chron. 27:1: – ¹ Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

3. Son of Ahitub, grandson of Azariah, high priest in Solomon’s great Temple (1 Chron. 6:12; 9:11: - ¹² Ahitub the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Shallum. ¹¹ Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God).

4. The son of Baana who shared in the repair of the wall ofJerusalem (Neh. 3:4: - ⁴Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs).

5. A priest, son of Immer (Neh. 3:29: - ²⁹ Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs).

6. One of the chiefs of the people who sealed the covenant (Neh. 10:21: - ²¹ Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua).

7. A son of Meraioth, of priestly ancestry (Neh. 11:11: - ¹¹ Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God).

8. The scribe or priest appointed by Nehemiah to take charge of the treasuries of the Lord’s house (Neh. 13:13: - ¹³ I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites). He may have been the same Zadok of Nehemiah 3:29: - ²⁹ Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.