Delaiah

Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah, was an official during King Jehoiakim's reign who heard Baruch read Jeremiah's scroll.

Delaiah, the son of Shemaiah, is mentioned in Jeremiah 36 as one of the officials present when Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, read the prophet's scroll in the chamber of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. This event took place during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah.

After hearing the words of Jeremiah's scroll, Micaiah, the son of Gemariah, went to the king's house and reported the message to all the officials, including Delaiah (Jer 36:11-13). The officials then sent for Baruch and had him read the scroll to them. Alarmed by the message, they decided to report it to the king (Jer 36:14-16).

King Jehoiakim, after hearing a portion of the scroll, cut it with a scribe's knife and burned it in the fire, despite the pleas of some officials, including Delaiah, not to do so (Jer 36:25). This action demonstrated the king's rejection of God's word and his defiance against the prophetic message.

Delaiah's presence among the officials and his attempt to prevent the king from burning the scroll suggest that he had some level of influence in the royal court and that he recognized the significance of Jeremiah's message. However, his efforts, along with those of other officials, were unsuccessful in changing the king's response.

A son of Shemaiah, and one of the courtiers to whom Jeremiah’s first roll of prophecy was read (Jer. 36:12).