📖 Biblical Definition
High priest under David and Solomon (2 Samuel 8:17; 15:24-29; 1 Kings 1-2; 1 Chronicles 29:22). A descendant of Eleazar son of Aaron, distinguished from his contemporary Abiathar (who was descended from Ithamar son of Aaron). Zadok served faithfully under David through the Absalom rebellion (when David fled Jerusalem, Zadok bore the Ark out of the city to follow him, but David sent him back, 2 Samuel 15:24-29, trusting that the LORD would either return him or not as the LORD willed). Zadok and Abiathar shared the high priesthood through David's reign. In the succession crisis at the end of David's life, Abiathar sided with Adonijah's attempted coup; Zadok stayed loyal to Solomon. When Solomon was crowned, Zadok was the priest who anointed him (1 Kings 1:39); Abiathar was deposed from the priesthood by Solomon (1 Kings 2:27, fulfilling the LORD's word against the house of Eli at Shiloh). From that point Zadok and his descendants held the high-priesthood. The prophet Ezekiel later distinguishes the Zadokite line as the only legitimate priests in the restored Israelite cult of his vision (Ezekiel 40:46; 43:19; 44:15-16; 48:11). The patriarchal-Reformed reading notes the structural pattern: faithful priesthood preserved through political crises by the LORD's keeping of the line.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
High priest under David and Solomon (2 Samuel 8; 15; 1 Kings 1-2); Eleazarite line; loyal to Solomon in the succession crisis; founder of the Zadokite priestly dynasty.
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ZADOK, proper n. (OT high priest) High priest under David and Solomon (2 Samuel 8:17; 15:24-29; 1 Kings 1-2; 1 Chronicles 29:22). Descendant of Eleazar son of Aaron, distinguished from his contemporary Abiathar (descended from Ithamar). Served faithfully under David through the Absalom rebellion (bore the Ark to follow David, sent back at David's command). Shared high priesthood with Abiathar through David's reign. In the succession crisis at David's end, Abiathar sided with Adonijah's attempted coup; Zadok stayed loyal to Solomon. Anointed Solomon king (1 Kings 1:39); Abiathar deposed (1 Kings 2:27). Founder of the Zadokite priestly line that dominated the high-priesthood from Solomon onward; distinguished by Ezekiel as the legitimate priestly line in his restored-temple vision (Ezekiel 40:46; 43:19; 44:15-16; 48:11).
📖 Key Scripture
2 Samuel 15:24-25 — "And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God... And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation."
1 Kings 1:39 — "And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon."
1 Kings 2:27 — "So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh."
Ezekiel 44:15-16 — "But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
No major postmodern redefinition. Zadok is rightly honored as the great loyal priest of the Davidic-Solomonic transition; the recovery is the pattern of faithful priesthood through political crisis.
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Zadok as a proper name does not undergo lexical corruption. The principal pastoral consideration is the pattern of faithful priesthood through political crisis. Zadok served David through the Absalom rebellion; he could have used the chaos as an opportunity to advance Abiathar or himself; instead he obeyed David's command to bear the Ark back into the city and trust the LORD's outcome. Zadok served the Davidic-Solomonic transition through the Adonijah coup-attempt; he could have hedged his bets; instead he openly supported Solomon and was the priest who anointed him. The pattern: the faithful priest is loyal to the LORD's appointed king through political turmoil, and the LORD preserves his line for the long haul. Ezekiel's later vision distinguishing the Zadokite priests as the legitimate priestly line in the restored cult is the LORD's vindication of the Zadokite faithfulness.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
High priest under David and Solomon; Eleazarite line; loyal through Absalom and Adonijah crises; founder of Zadokite priestly dynasty.
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['Hebrew', 'H6659', 'Tsadoq', 'righteous']
['Hebrew', 'H499', "El'azar", "Eleazar, Zadok's ancestral line through Aaron"]
['Hebrew', 'H54', 'Evyathar', "Abiathar, Zadok's contemporary high priest (Ithamarite line)"]
Usage
"High priest under David and Solomon."
"Loyal to David through the Absalom rebellion; to Solomon through the Adonijah crisis."
"Founder of the Zadokite priestly dynasty; Ezekiel's restored-temple priesthood."