Menu

Nehemiah 12:42 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוּמַעֲשֵׂיָ֨ה וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜ה וְאֶלְעָזָ֧ר וְעֻזִּ֛י וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֥ן וּמַלְכִּיָּ֖ה וְעֵילָ֣ם וָעָ֑זֶר וַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים וְיִֽזְרַחְיָ֖ה הַפָּקִֽיד׃

BSAand also MaaseiahMaʻăsêyâh [work of Jehovah] ShemaiahShᵉmaʻyâh [heard by God] EleazarʼElʻâzâr [God has helped] UzziʻUzzîy [strong] JehohananYᵉhôwchânân [Jehovah has graced] MalchijahMalkîyâh [my king is Jehovah] ElamʻÊylâm [eternal] and EzerʻÊzer [help] Then the choirsshîyr [singers, musicians] sang outshâmaʻ [loud, with strong voices] under the directionpâqîyd [oversight, leadership] of JezrahiahYizrachyâh [God will shine]

Word
Listen & take awayNehemiah 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 42 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ha.pa.Kid) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Nehemiah 12:42quick helps
In a sentenceThe names of key leaders and singers are listed, culminating in the choirs singing under Jezrahiah's direction.
Who is speakingThe narrative is from Nehemiah, detailing the organization of worship after the return from exile.
Where we areIn the context of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, highlighting the roles of individuals involved.
The hard wordוַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙
Take awayThe choirs sang loudly, led by a key figure in the community.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause subjectיִזְרַחְיָה verbשָׁמַע The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Nehemiah 12:42

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalemgenerated

41as well as the priests with their trumpets—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—
42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.
43On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
44And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.

Nehemiah 12:42 recounts the organization of the people during the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. This verse lists several leaders and singers who played significant roles in the worship and celebration, emphasizing the community's joy and commitment to God after their return from exile. The context highlights the importance of leadership and worship in the restoration of Jerusalem, as seen in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Psalm 81:1Sing for joy to God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob.
2Psalm 95:1Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!
3Psalm 98:4–9Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises!
4Psalm 100:1–2Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
5Isaiah 12:5–6Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things. Let this be known in all the earth.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word וַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙, vai.yash.Mi.'ugenerated

The verb שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and is used here in the Hiphil form, indicating that the subject causes others to hear. It implies not just the act of hearing but also the act of proclaiming or making something known.

In this verse, it describes how the choirs caused to hear, emphasizing the loudness and clarity of their singing. The structure indicates a communal act of worship, where the singers are not only participating but are also leading the assembly in praise.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יַּשְׁמִ֨יעוּ, they caused to hear, governs the sentence, with the subject יִֽזְרַחְיָ֖ה Izrahiah performing the action. The structure shows a clear subject-verb relationship, indicating who is leading the action.

The arrangement of the names preceding the verb emphasizes the collective identity of the leaders and singers, culminating in their unified act of worship.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ as ἠκούσθησαν, which means 'they were heard'. This choice suggests a focus on the outcome of their singing rather than the act of causing to hear, indicating a slightly different emphasis on the public nature of their worship.

This reflects a common practice in the Septuagint to adapt Hebrew expressions to resonate with Greek-speaking audiences, highlighting the communal aspect of worship.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Nehemiah 12:42 lists several leaders and singers who participated in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer are named, and the choirs sang loudly under the leadership of Jezrahiah. This shows the importance of worship and community in the restoration of Jerusalem.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the name Maaseiah mean?

Maaseiah means 'work of Jehovah' and signifies God's action in the lives of those who bear the name.

Who was Jezrahiah?

Jezrahiah was a Levite who led the choirs during the dedication of the wall, indicating his important role in the worship of the community.

Why is singing emphasized in this verse?

Singing is a significant aspect of worship in the Hebrew tradition, representing joy and communal praise to God, especially during important events like the dedication of the wall.

What can we learn from the organization of worship in Nehemiah 12:42?

The organization of worship highlights the value of leadership, community participation, and the joy of praising God together, which are essential elements in the life of faith.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I participate in my community's worship in a way that brings joy to God?
  2. What roles can I take on to support worship in my church or community?
  3. In what ways can I encourage others to join in singing praises to God?
  4. How does the act of worship, like singing, strengthen the community of believers?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 12:42 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer,.... These seem to be all priests that blew the trumpets: and the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah

Read John Gill on Nehemiah 12 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi; No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 12 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27-43) The dedication of the wall. Henceforth Nehemiah speaks in his own person.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 12 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

42. And Maaseiah] The divisions or courses of the Levitical musicians, eight in number, corresponding to what we find in Nehemiah 12:35-36. the singers sang loud] Lit. ‘caused to hear,’ cf. 1 Chronicles 15:19. The LXX. ἠκούσθησαν. Vulg. ‘clare cecinerunt.’ Jezrahiah their overseer] Jezrahiah as leader of the musicians corresponds to Zechariah in the other company (Nehemiah 12:35).

Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 12 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

NETBNew English Translation2006

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

RVARevised Version, American1894

and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Vzzi, and Iehohanan, and Malchiiah, and Elam, and Ezer: and the singers sang loude, hauing Izrahiah which was the ouerseer.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud; and Jizrahiah was their overseer.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and Masseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer, and the singers sound, and Jezrahiah the inspector;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and Masseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer, and the singers sound, and Jezrahiah the inspector;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And Ma'asseyah, and Shema'yah, and El'azar, and 'Uzzi, and Jehochanan, and Malkiyah, and 'Elam, and 'Ezer. And the singers sang aloud, with Yisrachyah as their overseer.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the singers made themselves heard and Jezrahiah was their leader.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And they sacrificed on that day great sacrifices, and they rejoiced: for God had made them joyful with great joy: their wives also and their children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Then came the singers Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the choirs sang, directed by Jezrahiah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer. And the makers of melody made their voices loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וּandclausenoun phrase · subjectמַעֲשֵׂיָ֨הMaaseiahוּֽandשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜הShemaiahוְandאֶלְעָזָ֧רEleazarוְandעֻזִּ֛יUzziוִֽandיהוֹחָנָ֥ןJehohananוּandמַלְכִּיָּ֖הMalkijahוְandעֵילָ֣םElamוָandעָ֑זֶרEzerוַandclauseverbיַּשְׁמִ֨יעוּ֙they.caused.to.hearnoun phrase · subjectהַtheמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔יםsingersוְandclausesubjectיִֽזְרַחְיָ֖הIzrahiahnoun phrase · predicateהַ[was].theפָּקִֽידoverseer

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with 11 of the 12 words matched. The differences in word order and phrasing in the Septuagint reflect its own interpretive choices rather than significant textual variations.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וּמַעֲשֵׂיָ֨ה וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜ה וְאֶלְעָזָ֧ר וְעֻזִּ֛י וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֥ן וּמַלְכִּיָּ֖ה וְעֵילָ֣ם וָעָ֑זֶר וַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔ים וְיִֽזְרַחְיָ֖ה הַפָּקִֽיד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּמַעֲשֵׂיָ֨הμαασιαςוּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜הσεμειαςוְאֶלְעָזָ֧רελεαζαρוְעֻזִּ֛יοζιוִֽיהוֹחָנָ֥ןιωανανוּמַלְכִּיָּ֖הμελξιαςוְעֵילָ֣םαιλαμוָעָ֑זֶרεζουρוַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ἠκούσθησανהַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔יםᾄδοντεςהַפָּקִֽיד׃ἐπεσκέπησαν

11 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Nehemiah 12:42מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּand Maaseiaand Maaseiahמַעֲשֵׂיָהוּשְׁמַעְיָ֫הand Shemaiaand Shemaiahשְׁמַעְיָ֫האֶלְעָזָרand Eleazarand Eleazarאֶלְעָזָרעֻזִּיand Uzziand Uzziעֻזִּייְהוֹחָנָןand Jehohanand Jehohananיְהוֹחָנָןמַלְכִּיָּהוּand Malkijaand Malkijahמַלְכִּיָּהוּעֵילָםand Elamand Elamעֵילָםעֵ֫זֶרand Ezerand Ezerעֵ֫זֶרשָׁמַעand they caand they causedשָׁמַעשִׁירthe singersthe singersשִׁיריִזְרַחְיָהand Izrahiaand Izrahiahיִזְרַחְיָהפָּקִיד[was] the o[was] the oversפָּקִידפָּקַדto reckon:to reckon: listפָּקַדמַעֲשֶׂהdeed: judgdeed: judgementמַעֲשֶׂהשָׁמַעto hear: hto hear: hearשָׁמַעאֵלgodgodאֵלעָזַזbe strongbe strongעָזַזיהוהThe LordThe Lordיהוהמֶ֫לֶךְKing'sKing'sמֶ֫לֶךְעָלַםto concealto concealעָלַםזָרַחto riseto riseזָרַחעֵ֫זֶרhelperhelperעֵ֫זֶרעֶ֫זֶרעֶ֫זֶרשׁוּרto travelto travelשׁוּרשׁוּרto seeto seeשׁוּרצְפַנְיָהZephaniahZephaniahצְפַנְיָהאֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַיEliehoenaiEliehoenaiאֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַינֶחֱלָמִיNehelamNehelamנֶחֱלָמִיאֶלְנָתָןElnathanElnathanאֶלְנָתָןאִיתָמָרIthamarIthamarאִיתָמָר
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Nehemiah 12:42

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וּמַעֲשֵׂיָ֨הu.ma.'a.se.Yah and Maaseiah H4641 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Maaseiah means work of Jehovah, a name given to 16 Israelites, including a descendant of Jeshua in Ezra's time. It symbolizes God's action in their lives. Maaseiah is mentioned in Jeremiah 35:4.
Amplified meaning
work of Jehovah
Tyndale gloss
Maaseiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ (Ma`aseyah) means 'work of Jah' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, particularly during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. This name is associated with priests and Levites, including a son of Ahaz and others involved in significant events like the reading of the law. The entries indicate a range of roles and familial connections, highlighting the name's prominence among the Israelites.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ, מַעֲשֵׂיָה, מַעֲשַׂי n.pr.m. (work of י׳)

priest, Je.’s time

29:21.

Levites

officials

son of Ahaz

Levite

Ne 3:23

a

a

a priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4641 מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ, מַעֲשֵׂיָה, מַעֲשַׂי (work of י׳) . priest, Je.’s time

. 29

. Levites

. officials

. son of Ahaz

. Levite

. Ne

. a

. Ezr

. a priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4641 Ma`aseyah mah-as-ay-yaw'

or Maaseyahuw {mah-as-ay-yaw'-hoo}; from 4639 and 3050; work

of Jah; Maasejah, the name of sixteen Israelites:--Maaseiah.

see HEBREW for 04639

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ (ma.a.se.yah) — Maaseiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.15.18

§ Maaseiah = "work of Jehovah"

1) a descendant of Jeshua who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

2) a priest of the sons of Harim who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

3) a priest of the sons of Pashur who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

4) a descendant of Pahath-moab who had taken a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

5) father of Azariah

6) one who stood on the right hand of Ezra when he read the law to the people

7) a Levite who assisted when Ezra read the law to the people

8) one of the heads of the people whose descendants signed the covenant with Nehemiah

9) a Benjamite ancestor of Sallu

10) a priest who took part in the musical service at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem under Ezra

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ma-a-se'-ya, ma-a-si'a (ma`aseyahu, "Yahweh's work"; Maassaia, and Massaias in the Septuagint): A name common in exilic and late monarchic times (Gray, H P N).

(1) A Levite musician named in connection with David's bringing up of the ark from the house of Obed-edom (1Ch 15:18,20).

(2) A Levite captain who aided Jehoiada at the coronation of Joash (2Ch 23:1).

(3) An officer of Uzziah (2Ch 26:11).

(4) Ahaz' son, slain by the Ephraimite, Zichri (2Ch 28:7).

(5) A governor of Jerusalem under Josiah (2Ch 34:8).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Maaseiah

The work of Jehovah. (1.) One of the Levites whom David appointed as porter for the ark (1 Chr. 15:18, 20).

(2.) One of the “captains of hundreds” associated with Jehoiada in restoring king Jehoash to the throne (2 Chr. 23:1).

(3.) The “king’s son,” probably one of the sons of king Ahaz, killed by Zichri in the invasion of Judah by Pekah, king of Israel (2 Chr. 28:7).

(4.) One who was sent by king Josiah to repair the temple (2 Chr. 34:8). He was governor (Heb. sar, rendered elsewhere in the Authorized Version “prince,” “chief captain,” chief ruler”) of Jerusalem.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(work of the Lord), the name of four persons who had married foreign wives. In the time of Ezra, A descendant of Jeshua the priest. (Ezra 10:18) A priest, of the sons of Harim. (Ezra 10:21) A priest, of the sons of Pashur. (Ezra 10:22) One of the laymen, a descendant of Pahath-moab. (Ezra 10:30) The father of Azariah. (Nehemiah 3:23) One of those who stood on the right hand of Ezra when he read the law to the people. (Nehemiah 8:4) A Levite who assisted on the same occasion. (Nehemiah 8:7) One of the heads of the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the work of the Lord

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֜הu.she.ma'.Yah and Shemaiah H8098 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
41× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shemaiah means heard by God, the name of 25 Israelites, including a prophet in King Rehoboam's time and a false prophet in Jeremiah's time. He is mentioned in Jeremiah 36:12. Shemaiah was also the father of Delaiah, a prince of Judah.
Amplified meaning
heard by God
Tyndale gloss
Shemaiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁמַעְיָ֫ה (Shma`yah) means 'Jah has heard' and refers to a name associated with numerous individuals in the Old Testament, particularly prophets and Levites. The entries highlight its use for a prophet during King Rehoboam's reign and various descendants, including those in the time of Jeremiah and Nehemiah. Notably, it is mentioned in contexts involving both true and false prophets.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁמַעְיָ֫ה(וּ) n.pr.m.

prophet, Rehob.’s time

Jer.’s time

a prophet’s father

descendant of Zerub.

in Simeon

in Reuben

Levites

companions of Ezra

of Neh.

priests

a prince

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8098 שְׁמַעְיָ֫ה(וּ), שְׁמַעְיָה, שְׁמַעְיָהוּ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8098 Shma`yah shem-aw-yaw'

or Shmamyahuw {shem-aw-yaw'-hoo}; from 8085 and 3050; Jah has

heard; Shemajah, the name of twenty-five

Israelites:--Shemaiah.

see HEBREW for 08085

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁמַעְיָ֫הוּ (she.ma.yah) — Shemaiah.

A prophet living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.12.22

§ Shemaiah = "heard by Jehovah"

1) a prophet of the Lord in the reign of king Rehoboam of Judah

2) the Nehelamite, a false prophet in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

3) father of Delaiah, one of the princes of Judah in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

4) an inhabitant of Kirjathjearim and father of Urijah, a prophet of the Lord in the time of the prophet Jeremiah

5) a Judaite, son of Shechaniah, father of Hattush, and descendant of Zerubbabel

6) a Simeonite, father of Shimri

7) a Reubenite, son of Joel and father of Gog

8) a Merarite Levite, son of Hasshub in the time of Nehemiah

9) a Levite, son of Galal and father of Obadiah

10) a Levite and head of the family of the sons of Elizaphan who were commissioned to bring the ark to Jerusalem in the time of David

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

she-ma'-ya, she-mi'-a (shema`yah (in 2Ch 11:2; 17:8; 31:15; 35:9; Jer 26:20; 29:24; 36:12, shema`yahu), "Jahveh hears"): The name is most frequently borne by priests, Levites and prophets.

(1) Codex Vaticanus Sammaias; Codex Alexandrinus Samaias (2Ch 12:5,7). A prophet who, together with Ahijah, protested against Rehoboam's contemplated war against the ten revolted tribes (1Ki 12:22-24 = 2Ch 11:2-4). He declared that the rebellion had divine sanction. The second Greek account knows nothing of Ahijah in this connection and introduces Shemaiah at the gathering at Shechem where both Jeroboam and Rehoboam were present; it…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shemaiah

Whom Jehovah heard. (1.) A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:22-24).

(2.) Neh. 3:29.

(3.) A Simeonite (1 Chr. 4:37).

(4.) A priest (Neh. 12:42).

(5.) A Levite (1 Chr. 9:16).

(6.) 1 Chr. 9:14; Neh. 11:15.

(7.) A Levite in the time of David, who with 200 of his brethren took part in the bringing up of the ark from Obed-edom to Hebron (1 Chr. 15:8).

(8.) A Levite (1 Chr. 24:6).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(heard by Jehovah). A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam. (1 Kings 12:22; 2 Chronicles 11:2) (B.C. 972.) He wrote a chronicle containing the events of Rehoboam’s reign. (2 Chronicles 12:5,15) The son of Shechaniah, among the descendants of Zerubbabel. (1 Chronicles 3:23; Nehemiah 3:28) A prince of the tribe of Simeon. (1 Chronicles 4:27) Son of Joel, Reubenite. (1 Chronicles 5:4) (B.C. after 1706.) Son of Hasshub, a Merarite Levite. (1 Chronicles 9:14;

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. A prophet of Israel, by whom God forbade Rehoboam to endeavor to coerce the ten tribes back to their allegiance, and called the king and his court to repent at the invasion of Shishak. He is said to have written the history of Rehoboam’s reign, 1Ki 12:22-24 2Ch 12:5-8,15.

2. A Levite, who made a registry of the twenty-four priestly classes, 1Ch 15:8,11 24:6.

3. A false prophet among the exiled Jews in Babylon, who opposed the prophet Jeremiah, and incurred divine judgments on himself and his family. For his name, Nehelamite, a dreamer, Jer 29:24-32.

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וְאֶלְעָזָ֧רve.'el.'a.Zar and Eleazar H499 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
72× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Eleazar means God has helped, and was the name of several Israelites, including a high priest and one of David's warriors.
Amplified meaning
God has helped
Tyndale gloss
Eleazar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶלְעָזָר (El`azar) means "God has helped" and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a high priest, a Levite, and a warrior of David. It is derived from the roots for "God" and "helper". The entries highlight various figures named Eleazar, such as the son of Aaron and the son of Abinadab, who played significant roles in Israel's history.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶלְעָזָר n.pr.m. (God has helped)

Eleazar the priest

son of Abinadab

one of David’s heroes

a Levite

priest of the time of Ezra

one of the line of Parosh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H499 אֶלְעָזָר (God has helped) . Eleazar the priest

. son of Abinadab

. one of David’s heroes

. a Levite

. priest of the time of Ezra

. one of the line of Parosh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

499 'El`azar el-aw-zawr'

from 410 and 5826; God (is) helper; Elazar, the name of seven

Israelites:--Eleazar.

see HEBREW for 0410

see HEBREW for 05826

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶלְעָזָר (el.a.zar) — Eleazar.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.23;

son of: Aaron (H0175) and Elisheba (H0472);

brother of: Nadab (H5070), Abihu (H0030) and Ithamar (H0385); married to daughter_of_Putiel (H6317H);

father of: Phinehas (H6372)

§ Eleazar = "God has helped"

1) the high priest son of Aaron

2) Abinadab's son who cared for the ark

3) the priest who rebuilt and dedicated the restored walls of Jerusalem in time of Ezra

4) one of David's mighty warriors

5) a Levite

6) one of the line of Parosh

אֶלְעָזָר (el.a.zar) — Eleazar.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Sa.7.1;

son of: Abinadab (H0041);

brother of: Uzzah (H5798A) and Ahio (H0283)

§ Eleazar = "God has helped"

1) the high priest son of Aaron

2) Abinadab's son who cared for the ark

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

el-e-a'-zar, e-le-a'-zar ('el-`azar; Eleazar, "God is helper"):

(1) The 3rd son of Aaron by Elisheba (Ex 6:23; Nu 3:2).

He married one of the daughters of Putiel, who bore him Phinehas (Ex 6:25). With his father and 3 brothers he was consecrated to the priest's office (Ex 28:1). After the destruction of Nadab and Abihu, he occupied a more important position, and he and Ithamar "ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father" (Le 10:6 f; Nu 3:4; 1Ch 24:2 ff). He was given the oversight of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Eleazar

God has helped. (1.) The third son of Aaron (Ex. 6:23). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas (Ex. 6:25). After the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:12; Num. 3:4) he was appointed to the charge of the sanctuary (Num. 3:32). On Mount Hor he was clothed with the sacred vestments, which Moses took from off his brother Aaron and put upon him as successor to his father in the high priest’s office, which he held for more than twenty years (Num. 20:25-29). He took part with Moses in numbering the people (26:3, 4), and assisted at the inauguration of…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(help of God). Third son of Aaron. After the death of Nadab and Abihu without children, (Leviticus 10:6; Numbers 3:4) Eleazar was appointed chief over the principal Levites. (Numbers 3:32) With his brother Ithamar he ministered as a priest during their father’s lifetime, and immediately before his death was invested on Mount Hor with the sacred garments, as the successor of Aaron in the office of high priest. (Numbers 20:28) (B.C. 1452.) One of his first duties was in conjunction with Moses to superintend the census of the people. (Numbers 26:3) After the conquest of Canaan by Joshua he took part in the distribution of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The third son of Aaron, and high priest after him, Ex 6:23; Nu 20:25-28. The high priesthood continued in his family through seven generations; till the time of Eli, when we find it transferred to the line of Ithamar. In the reigns of Saul and David, it was restored to the line of Eleazar, and so continued till after the captivity.

2. A son of Abinadab, honored with the charge of the ark while it was in his father’s house, 1Sa 7:1.

3. One of David’s champions, 2Sa 23:9; 1Ch 11:11-18.

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וְעֻזִּ֛יve.'u.Zi and Uzzi H5813 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Uzzi was a Levite and son of Bukki, mentioned in Nehemiah 12:42. His name means strong, and he was part of the high priest line but never held the position himself.
Amplified meaning
strong
Tyndale gloss
Uzzi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֻזִּי (Uzziy) means 'strong' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament. It is derived from a root meaning 'forceful' and is associated with multiple figures, including Levites and members of the tribes of Issachar and Benjamin. The entries indicate that Uzzi is a name shared by at least six Israelites, but they do not provide significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֻזִּי n.pr.m.

Levites

name in Issachar

Benjamite name

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5813 עֻזִּי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5813 `Uzziy ooz-zee'

from 5810; forceful; Uzzi, the name of six

Israelites:--Uzzi.

see HEBREW for 05810

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֻזִּי (uz.zi) — Uzzi.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.5;

son of: Bukki (H1231H);

father of: Zerahiah (H2228)

§ Uzzi = "strong"

1) a Levite, son of Bukki and father of Zerahiah in the line of the high priest although apparently never high priest himself

2) son of Tola and grandson of Issachar

3) a Benjamite, son of Bela and head of a family of Benjamin

4) son of Michri and father of Elah and an ancestor of a family of returned exiles settling in Jerusalem. Maybe same as 3

5) a Levite, son of Bani, and an overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah

6) a priest, chief of the father's house of Jedaiah, in the time of Joiakim the high priest

7) one of the priests who helped Ezra in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Maybe same as 6

עֻזִּי (uz.zi) — Uzzi.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

uz'-i ('uzzi, perhaps "my strength"):

(1) A descendant of Aaron and high priest, unknown apart from these sources (1Ch 6:5,6,51 (Hebrew 5:31,32; 6:36); Ezr 7:4).

(2) An eponym of a family of Issachar (1Ch 7:2,3).

(3) Head of a Benjamite family (1Ch 7:7), or more probably of a Zebulunite family (see Curtis, Chron., 145-49).

(4) Father of Elah, a Benjamite (1Ch 9:8), perhaps the same as (5).

(5) A son of Bani and overseer of the Levitea in Jerusalem (Ne 11:22).

(6) Head of the priestly family of Jedaiah (Ne 12:19,42).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Uzzi

The Lord is my strength. (1.) The son of Bukki, and a descendant of Aaron (1 Chr. 6:5, 51; Ezra 7:4).

(2.) A grandson of Issachar (1 Chr. 7:2, 3).

(3.) A son of Bela, and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chr. 7:7).

(4.) A Benjamite, a chief in the tribe (1 Chr. 9:8).

(5.) A son of Bani. He had the oversight of the Levites after the return from captivity (Neh. 11:22).

(6.) The head of the house of Jedaiah, one of “the chief of the priests” (Neh. 12:19).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(strong). Son of Bukki and father of Zerahiah, in the line of the high priests. (1 Chronicles 6:5,61; Ezra 7:4) Though Uzzi was the lineal ancestor of Zadok, it does not appear that he was ever high priest. He must have been contemporary with, but rather earlier than, Eli. (B.C. before 1161.) Son of Tola the son of Issachar. (1 Chronicles 7:2,3) (B.C. 1706.) Son of Bela, of the tribe of Benjamin. (1 Chronicles 7:7) (B.C. 1706.) Another, or the same, from whom descended some Benjamite houses, which were settled at Jerusalem after the return from captivity. (1 Chronicles 9:8) A Levite, son of Bani and overseer of the Levites…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

my strength; my kid

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֥ןvi.ho.cha.Nan and Jehohanan H3076 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jehohanan means Jehovah has graced, and was the name of eight Israelites, including a priest and a high priest, in the time of Exile and Return. He is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:42.
Amplified meaning
Jehovah has graced
Tyndale gloss
Jehohanan
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהוֹחָנָן (Yhowchanan) means 'Jehovah has graced' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including priests, a high priest, and warriors. The name combines elements meaning 'Jehovah' and 'to be gracious.' It appears in various contexts, notably during the Divided Monarchy and post-exilic periods, with multiple figures sharing this name.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוֹחָנָן, יוֹחָנָן n.pr.m.

a priest

high priest

Levite

son of Tobiah

porter in David’s time

a Judaite captain

an Ephraimite

an Israelite, Ezra’s time

a Jewish captain, after fall of Jerus.

eldest son of king Josiah

a post-exilic prince of the line of David

father of Azariah, priest in Sol.’s time

two of David’s mighty men

a returning exile

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3076 יְהוֹחָנָן, יוֹחָנָן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3076 Yhowchanan yeh-ho-khaw-nawn'

from 3068 and 2603; Jehovah-favored; Jehochanan, the name of

eight Israelites:--Jehohanan, Johanan. Compare 3110.

see HEBREW for 03068

see HEBREW for 02603

see HEBREW for 03110

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוֹחָנָן (ye.ho.cha.nan) — Johanan.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.4

§ Jehohanan = "Jehovah has graced"

1) a priest during the high priesthood of Joiakim who returned with Zerubbabel

2) a high priest in the time of Ezra

3) a Levite priest who took part in the dedication of the wall in the time of Nehemiah

4) son of Tobiah

5) a Korhite Levite and one of the doorkeepers to the tabernacle in the time of David

6) a captain of Judah under king Jehoshaphat

7) an Ephraimite

8) an Israelite with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

9) a Jewish captain after the fall of Jerusalem

10) the eldest son of king Josiah

11) a post-exilic prince of the line of David

12) father of Azariah, priest in Solomon's time

13) a Benjamite, one of David's mighty warriors

14) a Gadite, one of David's mighty warriors

15) a returning exile

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

je-ho-ha'-nan (yehochanan, "Yahweh is (or has been) gracious"):

(1) A Korahite doorkeeper in David's reign, "son" of Meshelemiah (1Ch 26:3). Septuagint, Luc, has "Jehonathan."

(2) One of the five captains over King Jehoshaphat's army (2Ch 17:15), probably father of Ishmael, "son of Jehohanan" (2Ch 23:1).

(3) Ezr 10:6 (the King James Version has "Johnnan") = "Johanan" of Ne 12:22,23 = "Jonathan" of Ne 12:11, "son" of Eliashib (Ezr 10:6; but "grandson" in Ne…

(4.) The son of Tobiah, an enemy of the Jews (Neh. 6:18).

(5.) Neh. 12:42.

(6.) Neh. 12:13.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(whom Jehovah gave), a name of which John is the contraction. A Korhite Levite, one of the doorkeepers to the tabernacle. (1 Chronicles 26:3) comp. 1Chr 25:1 (B.C. 1014.) One of the principal men of Judah under King Jehoshaphat. (2 Chronicles 17:15) comp. 2Chr 17:13 and 2Chr 17:19 (B.C. 910.) Father of Ishmael, one of the "captains of hundreds" whom Jehoiada the priest took into his confidence about the restoration of the line of Judah. (2 Chronicles 23:1) (B.C. 910.) One of the Bene-Bebai who was forced to put away his foreign wife. (

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וּמַלְכִּיָּ֖הu.mal.ki.Yah and Malkijah H4441 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Malchiah means my king is Jehovah, the name of ten Israelites. One Malchiah was the father of Pashhur, mentioned in Jeremiah 21:1. Malchiah was also the name of a priest in the time of David and Ezra.
Amplified meaning
my king is Jehovah
Tyndale gloss
Malchiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַלְכִּיָּהוּ (Malkiyah) means 'my king is Yah' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, including a father of Pashhur and various priests and Levites. The name appears in contexts related to the Divided Monarchy and the Exile and Return periods. There are multiple figures named Malkiyah, each with distinct roles, such as a goldsmith and a leader involved in rebuilding efforts during Nehemiah's time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַלְכִּיָּהוּ, מַלְכִּיָּה n.pr.m. (my king is Yah)

father of Pashhur

a prince

priests

one of the sealed

a Levite

various men

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4441 מַלְכִּיָּהוּ, מַלְכִּיָּה (my king is Yah) . father of Pashhur

. a prince

. priests

. one of the sealed

. a Levite

. various men

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4441 Malkiyah mal-kee-yaw'

or Malkiyahuw (Jer. 38:6), {mal-kee-yaw'-hoo}; from 4428 and

3050; king of (i.e. appointed by) Jah; Malkijah, the name of

ten Israelites:--Malchiah, Malchijah.

see HEBREW for 04428

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַלְכִּיָּהוּ (mal.kiy.yah) — Malchijah.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.6.40;

son of: Jeatherai (H2979);

father of: Baaseiah (H1202)

§ Malchijah or Malchiah or Melchiah = "my king is Jehovah"

1) the father of Pashur in the time of Jeremiah

2) the son of Hammelech into whose dungeon Jeremiah was cast

3) the head of the 5th course of priests in the time of David

4) one of the priests who was at the reading of the law by Ezra, sealed the covenant with Nehemiah, and was at the dedication of the wall with Nehemiah

5) a Levite ancestor of Asaph and descendant of Levi through Gershon

6) son of Parosh who put away a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

7) son of Harim who put away a foreign wife and helped repair the wall and the Tower of Ovens in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וְעֵילָ֣םve.'ei.Lam and Elam H5867 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
28× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Elam refers to a son of Shem and his descendants, as well as a region, first mentioned in Genesis 10:22. The name means eternity. Elam is also the name of several Israelites, including one mentioned in Nehemiah 12:42.
Amplified meaning
eternal
Tyndale gloss
Elam
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֵילָם (*Eylam*) refers primarily to Elam, a region and its people, descendants of Shem. It encompasses various individuals, including heads of families among the exiles, a chief in Benjamin, and a Levite. The term is linked to the concept of 'eternity' and appears in contexts related to the Exile and Return, as well as genealogies from the time of the Patriarchs.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵילָם n.pr.gent. et terr. Elam

base

עֵילָם n.pr.m.

heads of families of returned exiles

a chief of people

name in Benjamin

Levite name

a priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5867a עֵילָם n. pr. gent. et terr. Elam H5867b עֵילָם . heads of families of returned exiles

. a chief of people

. name in Benjamin

. Levite name

. a priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5867 `Eylam ay-lawm'

or mOwlam (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36) {o-lawm'}; probably

from 5956; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his

descendants, with their country; also of six

Israelites:--Elam.

see HEBREW for 05956

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.

§ Elam = "eternity"

a province east of Babylon and northeast of the lower Tigris

עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.7

§ Elam = "eternity"

1) a Korhite Levite in the time of David

2) a chief man of the tribe of Benjamin

3) ancestor of a family of exiles who returned with Zerubbabel

4) a chief of the people who signed the covenant with Nehemiah

5) another ancestor of another family of exiles who returned with Zerubbabel

6) a priest who assisted at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah

7) another head of a family of returning exiles

עֵילָם (e.lam) — Elam.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22;

son of: Shem (H8035);

brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Arpachshad (H0775), Lud (H3865) and Aram (H0758)

§ Elam = "eternity"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-lam (`elam):

(1) A son of Shem (Ge 10:22; 1Ch 1:17; see ELAMITES).

(2) A Benjamite (1Ch 8:24).

(3) A Korahite (1Ch 26:3).

(4) Heads of families in the return (Ezr 2:7 parallel Ne 7:12; Ezr 2:31 parallel Ne 7:34; Ezr 8:7; 10:2,26).

(5) A chief of the people (Ne 10:14).

(6) A priest (Ne 12:42).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Elam

Highland, the son of Shem (Gen. 10:22), and the name of the country inhabited by his descendants (14:1, 9; Isa. 11:11; 21:2, etc.) lying to the east of Babylonia, and extending to the shore of the Mediterranean, a distance in a direct line of about 1,000 miles. The name Elam is an Assyrian word meaning “high.”

“The inhabitants of Elam, or ‘the Highlands,’ to the east of Babylon, were called Elamites. They were divided into several branches, speaking different dialects of the same agglutinative language. The race to which they belonged was brachycephalic, or short-headed, like the pre-Semitic Sumerians of Babylonia.

“The earliest Elamite kingdom seems to have been that of Anzan, the exact site of which is uncertain; but in the time of Abraham, Shushan or Susa appears…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(eternity). This seems to have been originally the name of a man, the son of Shem. (Genesis 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:17) Commonly, however, it is used as the appellation of a country. (Genesis 14:1,9; Isaiah 11:11; 21:2) The Elam of Scripture appears to be the province lying south of Assyria and east of Persia proper, to which Herodotus gives the name of Cissia (iii. 91, v. 49, etc.), and which is termed Susis or Susiana by the geographers. Its capital was Susa. This country was originally people by descendants of Shem. By the time of Abraham a very important power had been built up in the same region. It is plain that at this early time the predominant power in lower Mesopotamia was Elam, which for a while held the place…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The region afterwards called Persia, Ge 14:1. It was called Elam after a son of Shem, Ge 10:22. It corresponded to the Elymais of Greek and Roman writers, which comprehended a part of Susiana, now Khusistan or more probably included the whole of Susiana. The city Susa, or Shushan, was in it, Da 8:2. See also Ac 2:9.

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וָעָ֑זֶרva.'A.zer and Ezer H5829 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ezer is the name of four Israelites, including a father of Hushah and a Levite who aided in repairing the wall of Jerusalem. The name means treasure, signifying someone precious and valued, and is mentioned in the books of Chronicles and Nehemiah.
Amplified meaning
help
Tyndale gloss
Ezer
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵ֫זֶר (Ezer) refers to a name associated with several individuals in the Old Testament, including a wall-builder and a hero of David. The entries indicate that Ezer means "treasure" and mention various figures, such as a man from the tribe of Judah and a Gadite chief. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding the identity or meaning of this name.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵ֫זֶר n.pr.m.

a wall-builder

name in Judah

hero of David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5829 עֵ֫זֶר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5829 `Ezer ay'-zer

the same as 5828; Ezer, the name of four Israelites:--Ezer.

Compare 5827.

see HEBREW for 05828

see HEBREW for 05827

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵ֫זֶר (e.zer) — Ezer.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.4;

son of: Hur (H2354);

brother of: Uri (H0221), Shobal (H7732H), Salma (H8007H), Hareph (H2780), Jezreel (H3157J), Ishma (H3457), Idbash (H3031), Hazzelelponi (H6753) and Penuel (H6439H);

father of: Hushah (H2364)

§ Ezer = "treasure"

1) father of Hushah of the sons of Hur

2) a Gadite chief who fought with David

3) a Levite who aided in repairing the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah

עֵ֫זֶר (e.zer) — Ezer.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.9

§ Ezer = "treasure"

1) father of Hushah of the sons of Hur

2) a Gadite chief who fought with David

3) a Levite who aided in repairing the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah

עֵ֫זֶר (e.zer) — Ezer.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.3.19;

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-zer (`ezer, "help"):

(1) A Horite chief (Ge 36:21; 1Ch 1:38).

(2) A Judahite (1Ch 4:4).

(3) An Ephraimite, slain by men of Gath (1Ch 7:21).

(4) A Gadite who followed David while in exile on account of the wrath of Saul (1Ch 12:9).

(5) One of those who under direction of Nehemiah repaired the wall of Jerusalem (Ne 3:19).

(6) A musician in one of the great companies appointed by Nehemiah to give thanks at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Ne 12:42).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Ezer

Treasure. (1.) One of the sons of Seir, the native princes, “dukes,” of Mount Hor (Gen. 36:21, 27). (2.) 1 Chr. 7:21; (3.) 4:4. (4.) One of the Gadite champions who repaired to David at Ziklag (12:9). (5.) A Levite (Neh. 3:19). (6.) A priest (12:42).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(treasure). A son of Ephraim, who was slain by the aboriginal inhabitants of Gath while engaged in a foray on their cattle. (1 Chronicles 7:21) (B.C. before 1491.) A priest who assisted in the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 12:42) (B.C. 446.) Father of Hushah of the sons of Hur. (1 Chronicles 4:4) One of the Gadite chiefs who fought with David. (1 Chronicles 12:8,9) (B.C. 1054.) One who aided in repairing the wall at Jerusalem; a Levite. (Nehemiah 3:19)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a help

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וַיַּשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙vai.yash.Mi.'u and they caused to hear H8085 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
1,160× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Amplified meaning
loud, with strong voices
Tyndale gloss
to hear: hear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

subj. pers. hum.

י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound

be heard of

be regarded, obeyed

= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

of man

י׳ subj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8085 שָׁמַע hear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8085 shama` shaw-mah'

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with

implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to

tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X

carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,

declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make

to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)

obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,

regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,

understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

1a5) to understand (language)

1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)

1a7) to listen, give heed

1a7a) to consent, agree

1a7b) to grant request

1a8) to listen to, yield to

1a9) to obey, be obedient

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)

1b2) to be heard of

1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed

1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound

1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)

1d3) to make proclamation, summon

1d4) to cause to be heard

n m

2) sound

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.

: obey

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
הַמְשֹׁ֣רְרִ֔יםham.Sho.re.Rim the singers H7891 Particle · verb piel participle (active) masculine plural
87× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to sing, and it is used in the Bible to describe the act of singing, like when the Israelites sang after crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 15. It can also refer to a singer or songstress. The Bible often mentions singing as a way to praise God.
Amplified meaning
singers, musicians
Tyndale gloss
to sing
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁיר (shiyr) means 'to sing' and is a denominative verb derived from a primitive root. It covers various forms of singing, including participles for singers and songstresses. The entries indicate its use in different verbal stems, such as Qal and Polel, and note its appearance in contexts like 1 Samuel 18:6.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שִׁיר] 86 vb. sing (denom.)

Qal 49 sing

Pō‛l. 36 sing

Hoph. be sung

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7891 שִׁיר sing (denom.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7891 shiyr sheer

or (the original form) shuwr (1 Sam. 18:6) {shoor}; a

primitive root (identical with 7788 through the idea of

strolling minstrelsy); to sing:--behold (by mistake for

7789), sing(-er, -ing man, - ing woman).

see HEBREW for 07788

see HEBREW for 07789

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁיר (shir) — to sing.

1) to sing

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sing

1a2) singer, songstresses (participle)

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to sing

1b2) singer, songstress (participle)

1c) (Hophal) to be sung

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-o — Particle · verb piel participle (active) masculine plural
HTd/Vprmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ See MUSIC

and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
וְיִֽזְרַחְיָ֖הve.yiz.rach.Yah and Izrahiah H3156 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jezrahiah means God will shine, the name of two Israelites, one a chieftain of Issachar and the other a Levite who led the chorus at the dedication of Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah.
Amplified meaning
God will shine
Tyndale gloss
Jezrahiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִזְרַחְיָה (Yizrachyah) means "Jehovah will shine" and refers to two individuals from the tribe of Issachar. One is a chieftain mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:3, and the other is a Levite noted in Nehemiah 12:42, who led the chorus during the dedication of Jerusalem's wall. The name is constructed from elements meaning 'to shine' and 'Yah' (short for Yahweh).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִזְרַחְיָה n.pr.m. (י׳ will arise, or shine)

a man of Issachar

overseer of the singers

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3156 יִזְרַחְיָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3156 Yizrachyah yiz-rakh-yaw'

from 2224 and 3050; Jah will shine; Jizrachjah, the name of

two Israelites:--Izrahiah, Jezrahiah.

see HEBREW for 02224

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִזְרַחְיָה (yiz.rach.yah) — Izrahiah.

A man of the tribe of Issachar living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.7.3;

son of: Uzzi (H5813H);

father of: Michael (H4317K), Obadiah (H5662I), Joel (H3100L) and Isshiah (H3449)

§ Izrahiah or Jezrahiah = "Jehovah will shine"

1) a chieftain of Issachar

2) a Levite and leader of the chorus at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah

יִזְרַחְיָה (yiz.rach.yah) — Jezrahiah.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.12.42

§ Izrahiah or Jezrahiah = "Jehovah will shine"

1) a chieftain of Issachar

2) a Levite and leader of the chorus at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz-ra-hi'-a (yizrachyah, "Yah appears, or shines"):

(1) A descendant of Issachar, grandson of Tola, only son of Uzzi (1Ch 7:3).

(2) The leader of the singing at the purification of the people, on the occasion of Nehemiah's reformation; here rendered "Jezrahiah" (Ne 12:42).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(whom Jehovah causes to sparkle), a chieftain of Issachar. (1 Chronicles 7:3)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the Lord ariseth; the clearness of the Lord

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Grandson of Tola 1Ch 7:3

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer
הַפָּקִֽיד׃ha.pa.Kid [was] the overseer H6496 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a person in charge, like a governor or officer, who oversees others in a civil, military, or religious setting. It appears in the Bible as a title for someone with authority. In Exodus, Moses appoints overseers to help him lead the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
oversight, leadership
Tyndale gloss
overseer
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּקִיד (paqiyd) refers to a commissioner or overseer, indicating a role of authority or supervision. It is derived from a root meaning to appoint or set in charge. The term encompasses various types of superintendents, whether civil, military, or religious, as noted in the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פָּקִיד n.m. commissioner, deputy, overseer

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6496 פָּקִיד commissioner, deputy, overseer

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6496 paqiyd paw-keed'

from 6485; a superintendent (civil, military or

religious):--which had the charge, governor, office,

overseer, (that) was set.

see HEBREW for 06485

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּקִיד (pa.qid) — overseer.

commissioner, deputy, overseer, officer

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

o-ver-se'-er, or -ser': One who overlooks, inspects; in the Old Testament from natsach (2Ch 2:18; in 2Ch 34:13 the Revised Version (British and American) changes to "set forward"), and paqadh (Ge 39:4,5; 2Ch 34:12,17; the Revised Version (British and American) has this word for the King James Version "officers" in Ge 41:34, and for "rulers" in 1Ch 26:32); in the New Testament once for episkopos, in Ac 20:28, where the Revised Version (British and American) has "bishops" (margin "overseers"; compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Mt 24:48,49

→ See BISHOP

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate