The Greek form of the Hebrew name Berekiah means 'Yahweh has blessed.' It appears in Matthew 23:35, where Jesus refers to 'Zechariah son of Barachias' as one who was killed between the temple and the altar. This is most likely Zechariah the prophet (son of Berekiah — Zechariah 1:1), though the historical identification has been debated.
Jesus' reference to 'from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah' (Matthew 23:35) spans all of Hebrew Scripture (Genesis to 2 Chronicles in the Hebrew canon), encompassing the entire history of righteous suffering and martyrdom. This places Zechariah son of Barachias as a bookend of Old Testament martyrdom. It is a sober reminder that faithfulness to God has always been costly — and that God holds history accountable for every drop of innocent blood.