URIAH yŏŏ rī’ ə (אֽוּרִיָּה׃֙, Jahweh is light). KJV URIJAH. 1. An officer in David’s army, who was one of the elite corps called “the Thirty,” most of whom seem to have been of foreign origin, and were prob. mercenaries (2 Sam 23:23-39). Some scholars have suggested that his name is Heb. equivalent of the Hurrian name Ariya. It seems more likely that he accepted Heb. citizenship, and that he accordingly adopted a Heb. name to indicate that he was a worshiper of Jehovah. Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, also a member of the “Thirty” (2 Sam 23:34) was his wife. It is possible that she was the granddaughter of Ahithophel, David’s chief advisor.

In order to cover his adulterous connection with Bathsheba, David recalled Uriah from war in order that he might visit his wife, but he refused to do so, even though David tried to make him drunk. When David failed to make this device effective, he gave Uriah a sealed dispatch to Joab, the commander of the army, requesting that Uriah be placed in a dangerous position and that support be withdrawn. Joab complied, and Uriah was killed in battle. Upon his death, David married Bathsheba. The child conceived in adultery was born, but did not survive. A second child by Bathsheba was Solomon, who became David’s successor. Uriah is mentioned in the genealogy of Christ (Matt 1:6).

2. A priest who served as a witness to a prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 8:2), which was fulfilled later in the birth of his son, Mahershalal-hash-baz.

3. A chief priest during the reign of Ahaz, prob. identical with the priest mentioned in the preceding paragraph. When Ahaz returned from Damascus after an interview with Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria, on political affairs, he brought with him a model of an Assyrian altar. He requested Uriah to build a replica for use in the Temple (2 Kings 16:10-16). Uriah acceded to the demand.

4. A prophet, son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim. Uriah protested the policies of the king, who sentenced him to death. He escaped to Egypt, but was captured, brought back to Jerusalem, and executed (Jer 26:20-23).

5. The father of Meremoth (Ezra 8:33; Neh 3:4, 21).

6. One of the men who assisted Ezra in the public reading of the law (Neh 8:4).