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Nehemiah 12:34 — Word Study

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WLCיְהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖ה וְיִרְמְיָֽה׃ ס

BSAJudahYᵉhûwdâh [a tribe of Israel] BenjaminBinyâmîyn [son of the right hand] ShemaiahShᵉmaʻyâh [heard by God] JeremiahYirmᵉyâh [whom Jehovah has appointed]

Word
Listen & take awayNehemiah 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 34 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 (ve.yir.me.Yah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Nehemiah 12:34quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse lists key figures in the community of Judah.
Who is speakingThe chronicler, recounting the names of leaders and priests.
Where we areThis verse is part of a larger account detailing the restoration of worship in Jerusalem.
The hard wordיְהוּדָה
Take awayThese names represent significant tribal and priestly heritage.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause 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 12:34

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 Leaders of the Communitygenerated

33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
36and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

Nehemiah 12:34 lists important figures from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, highlighting their roles in the restoration of the community after the Babylonian exile. This verse emphasizes the continuity of Israel's tribal identity and the leadership that guided the people in their return to Jerusalem, as they reestablished their worship and community life.


Cross References


The Key Word יְהוּדָה, ye.hu.Dahgenerated

The name יְהוּדָה (yehudah) means 'Judah,' derived from a root meaning 'praised.' It refers to the son of Jacob and Leah, and encompasses the tribe descended from him, as well as the territory they occupied. The parsing as a proper noun indicates its significance as a tribal name and a geographical region.

Judah is also associated with the southern kingdom, which included both Judah and Benjamin. This name appears frequently throughout the Old Testament, underscoring its importance in Israel's history and identity.


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 structure of this verse is straightforward, with a noun phrase serving as the subject: יְהוּדָה, וּבִנְיָמִן, וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖ה, and וְיִרְמְיָֽה. The names are listed in a series, indicating their equal importance within the context of the community.

The verb is implied, creating a list of subjects that emphasizes the collective identity of these key figures.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יְהוּדָה as ιουδα, which maintains the same meaning and significance. This choice reflects the continuity of the name and its importance in both the Hebrew and Greek traditions.

The other names are similarly rendered in the Septuagint, preserving their identity and role within the community.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Nehemiah 12:34 lists the names of four significant figures: Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. These names represent important leaders from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, emphasizing their roles in the restoration of the community after the exile.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Who are the individuals mentioned in this verse?

The verse mentions Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, all of whom are significant figures in the community of Israel.

What is the significance of these names?

These names represent the tribal heritage and leadership of the people returning to Jerusalem, highlighting their roles in reestablishing worship and community life.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of Nehemiah?

This verse is part of the account detailing the restoration of Jerusalem and the reestablishment of the community after the Babylonian exile, showing the importance of tribal identity.

What do the names indicate about the community?

The names indicate a continuity of leadership and tribal identity, which were crucial for the community's restoration and worship practices.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What do the names in this verse tell us about the importance of tribal identity in Israel?
  2. How can understanding the roles of these individuals enhance our reading of Nehemiah's narrative?
  3. In what ways do the names reflect the restoration of worship in Jerusalem?
  4. How does this verse encourage us to value our own heritage and community?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 12:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Judah and Benjamin,.... Not the tribes, but the names of the two princes, as Jarchi: and Shemaiah and Jeremiah; who were two others.

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 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Nehemiah 12:34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,Ver. 34. Judah, and Benjamin] i.e. Men so called.

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

(34) Judah and Benjamin.—A singular collocation: the laity of Judah and Benjamin, with priests before and after.

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

34. Judah, and Benjamin] The occurrence of the two names together favours the view that the two tribes contributed to each wing of the procession one half of their numbers. Cf. Ezra 1:5; Ezra 4:1; Ezra 10:9. Others, however, prefer to think that they are names of certain princes. Shemaiah] Cf. Nehemiah 12:6. Jeremiah] Cf. Nehemiah 10:3, Nehemiah 12:1; Nehemiah 12:13.

Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 12 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“Judah and Benjamin” are the lay people of those two tribes.

Read Albert Barnes on Nehemiah 12 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

32-34. Hoshaiah was probably a leading chief among these princes of Judah.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

NETBNew English Translation2006

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

RVARevised Version, American1894

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Iudah, Beniamin, and Shemaiah, and Ieremiah,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Judah and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shema'yah, and Jeremiah;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zacharias the son of Jonathan. the son of Semeia, the son of Mathania; the son of Michaia, the son of Zechur, the son of Asaph,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah,

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.

clausenoun phrase · subjectיְהוּדָה֙Judahוּandבִנְיָמִ֔ןBenjaminוּֽandשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖הShemaiahוְandיִרְמְיָֽהJeremiah

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


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

The Masoretic Text lists the names Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah in Nehemiah 12:34. The Septuagint agrees with this list, matching all four names in a word-by-word correspondence, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of the Greek translation. There are no significant differences between these witnesses for this verse.

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

יְהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖ה וְיִרְמְיָֽה׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
יְהוּדָה֙ιουδαוּבִנְיָמִ֔ןβενιαμινוּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖הσαμαιαוְיִרְמְיָֽה׃ סιερμια

4 of the 4 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 12:34יְהוּדָהJudahJudahיְהוּדָהבִּנְיָמִיןand Benjamiand Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןשְׁמַעְיָ֫הand Shemaiaand Shemaiahשְׁמַעְיָ֫היִרְמְיָ֫הand Jeremiaand Jeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫היָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהבֵּןson: childson: childבֵּןשָׁמַעto hear: hto hear: hearשָׁמַערוּםto exaltto exaltרוּםצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּZedekiahZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּבֵּיתBethlehemBethlehemבֵּיתגִּבְעָהGibeahGibeahגִּבְעָהמַטֶּהtribetribeמַטֶּהנֶחֱלָמִיNehelamNehelamנֶחֱלָמִיאֶלְנָתָןElnathanElnathanאֶלְנָתָןמַטָּרָהguardhouseguardhouseמַטָּרָהבָּרוּךְBaruchBaruchבָּרוּךְ
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 12:34

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.

Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah
יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.Dah Judah H3063 Noun proper
820× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Judah is the name of the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob. It is also the name of the region where the tribe lived. The name means 'praised' and is first mentioned in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
a tribe of Israel
Tyndale gloss
(Baalah of)Judah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהוּדָה (yehudah) means 'Judah' and is derived from a root meaning 'praised.' It refers to the son of Jacob and Leah, the tribe descended from him, and the territory they occupied. The term also encompasses the southern kingdom of Judah, which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Additionally, it identifies various individuals, including Levites and overseers during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

n.pr.m.

son of Jacob and Leah

tribe descended from Judah

nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

Levite, Ezra’s time

an overseer of Jerus.

Levite musician

priest

n.pr.terr. land of Judah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3063 יְהוּדָה Judah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw'

from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five

Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of

its territory:--Judah.

see HEBREW for 03034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוּדָה (ye.hu.dah) — Judah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559);

father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I)

§ Judah = "praised"

1) the son of Jacob by Leah

2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob

3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah

4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon

5) a Levite in Ezra's time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Judah

Praise, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. The name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth: “Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and she called his name Yehudah” (Gen. 29:35).

It was Judah that interposed in behalf of Joseph, so that his life was spared (Gen. 37:26, 27). He took a lead in the affairs of the family, and “prevailed above his brethren” (Gen. 43:3-10; 44:14, 16-34; 46:28; 1 Chr. 5:2).

Soon after the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Judah went to reside at Adullam, where he married a woman of Canaan. (See ONAN; TAMAR.) After the death of his wife Shuah, he returned to his father’s house, and there exercised much…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(praised, celebrated), the fourth son of Jacob and the fourth of Leah. (B.C. after 1753.) Of Judah’s personal character more traits are preserved than of any other of the patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose life he in conjunction with Reuben saved. (Genesis 37:26-28) During the second visit to Egypt for corn it was Judah who understood to be responsible for the safety of Benjamin, ch. (Genesis 43:3-10) and when, through Joseph’s artifice, the brothers were brought back to the palace, he is again the leader and spokesman of the band. So too it is Judah who is sent before Jacob to smooth the way for him in the land of Goshen. ch. (Genesis 46:28) This ascendancy over his brethren is reflected in the last words…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, B. C. 1755, Ge 29:35. His name appears honorably in the history of Joseph, Ge 37:26,27 44:16-34; but disgracefully in that of Tamar his daughter-in-law, Ge 38:1-30. The dying benediction of Jacob foretells the superior power and prosperity of the family of Judah, and their continuance as chief of the Jewish race until the time of Christ, Ge 49:8-12. Though not the firstborn, Judah soon came to be considered as the chief of Jacob’s children, and his tribe was the most powerful and numerous. The southeastern part of Palestine fell to their lot. See JUDEA. On the border of their territory was Jerusalem, the seat of the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the praise of the Lord; confession

Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah
וּבִנְיָמִ֔ןu.vin.ya.Min and Benjamin H1144 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
166× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Benjamin means son of the right hand, referring to the youngest son of Jacob and the tribe that descended from him. The term is first used in Genesis 35:18. Benjamin was a brother of Joseph and a half-brother of Reuben and others.
Amplified meaning
son of the right hand
Tyndale gloss
(Gate of) Benjamin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בִּנְיָמִין (i.e., *Binyamiyn*) means 'son of the right hand.' It refers primarily to Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, as well as to the tribe descended from him. The entries also mention a son of Bilhan and several individuals from the time of Ezra. Notably, the name is associated with various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בִּנְיָמִין n.pr.m. 166 (son of (the) right hand)—

youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

a Jew of Ezra's time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1144 בִּנְיָמִין . youngest son of Jacob, so called by him, but Rachel, the mother, who died at Benjamin's birth, called בֶּן־אוֹנִ֑י (q.v.)

. son of Bilhan and great-grandson of Benjamin

. a Jew of Ezra's time

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1144 Binyamiyn bin-yaw-mene'

from 1121 and 3225; son of (the) right hand; Binjamin,

youngest son of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and

its territory:--Benjamin.

see HEBREW for 01121

see HEBREW for 03225

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בִּנְיָמִין (bin.ya.min) — Benjamin.

A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.35.18;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);

brother of: Joseph (H3130);

half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

father of: Bela (H1106A), Becher (H1071), Ashbel (H0788), Gera (H1617), Naaman (H5283), Ehi (H0278), Rosh (H7220), Muppim (H4649), Huppim (H2650H), Ard (H0714), Ahiram (H0297) and Jediael (H3043); also called Jamin at 1Sa.9.1,4; 22.7; 1x

§ Benjamin = "son of the right hand"

1) Jacob's and Rachel's youngest son, Joseph's full brother

2) son of Bilhan, great-grandson of Benjamin

3) a Benjamite, one of the sons of Harim, in the time of Ezra who had taken a strange wife

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

ben'-ja-min (binyamin, or binyamin; Beniaein, Beniamin):

1. The Patriarch:

The youngest of Jacob's sons. His mother Rachel died in giving him birth. As she felt death approaching she called him Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Fearing, probably, that this might bode evil for the child--for names have always preserved a peculiar significance in the East--Jacob called him Benjamin, "son of the fight hand" (Ge 35:17 ff). He alone of Jacob's sons was born in Palestine, between Bethel and Ephrath. Later in the chapter, in the general enumeration of the children born in Paddan-ar am, the writer fails to except Benjamin (Ge 35:24). Joseph was his full brother. In the history where Benjamin appears as an object of solicitude to his father and brothers, we must not forget that he was already a…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Benjamin

Son of my right hand. (1.) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 35:18). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place. His mother died in giving him birth, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, son of my pain, a name which was changed by his father into Benjamin. His posterity are called Benjamites (Gen. 49:27; Deut. 33:12; Josh. 18:21).

The tribe of Benjamin at the Exodus was the smallest but one (Num. 1:36, 37; Ps. 68:27). During the march its place was along with Manasseh…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(son of the right hand, fortunate). The youngest of the children of Jacob. His birth took place on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, near the latter, B.C. 1729. His mother, Rachel, died in the act of giving him birth, naming him with her last breath Ben-oni (son of my sorrow). This was by Jacob changed into Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16,18) Until the journeys of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself into Egypt we hear nothing of Benjamin. Nothing personal is known of him. Henceforward the history of Benjamin is the history of the tribe. A man of the tribe of Benjamin, son of bilhan, and the head of a family of warriors. (1 Chronicles 7:10) One of the "sons of Harim," an Israelite in the time of Ezra who had married a foreign wife. (Ezra…

The youngest son of Jacob and Rachel, Ge 35:16-18. Rachel died immediately after he was born, and with her last breath named him Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; but Jacob called him Benjamin, son of my right hand. He was a great comfort to his father, who saw in him the beloved wife he had buried, and Joseph whose loss he mourned. He could hardly be persuaded to let him go with his brethren to Egypt, Ge 42:38. The tribe of Benjamin was small at first and was almost exterminated in the days of the Judges, Jud 20:1-48, but afterwards greatly increased, 2Ch 14:8 17:17. It was valiant, Ge 49:27, and "beloved of the Lord,"…

Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah
וּֽשְׁמַֽעְיָ֖הu.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.

Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah
וְיִרְמְיָֽה׃ סve.yir.me.Yah and Jeremiah H3414 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
147× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jeremiah means whom Jehovah has appointed, a major prophet and author of the book of Jeremiah. He was the son of Hilkiah and a priest from Anathoth.
Amplified meaning
whom Jehovah has appointed
Tyndale gloss
Jeremiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (Yirmyah) refers to Jeremiah, meaning 'whom Jehovah has appointed.' He is primarily known as a major prophet from a priestly family in Anathoth, authoring the book of Jeremiah. The name also applies to several other individuals, including a man from Libnah, a Gadite warrior, and priests during the time of Nehemiah. The entries suggest a diverse range of figures associated with this name.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִרְמְיָ֫ה(וּ) 147 n.pr.m. (? י׳ looseneth, sc. the womb ?)

proph., son of Ḥilḳiah, of priestly family in ‛Anathôth

of Libnah, father of Josiah’s wife

Gadite, David’s time

Manassite

Benjamite

Gadite

priestly name

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3414 יִרְמְיָ֫ה(וּ) (? י׳ looseneth, sc. the womb ?) . proph., son of Ḥilḳiah, of priestly family in ‛Anathôth

. of Libnah, father of Josiah’s wife

. Gadite, David’s time

. Manassite

. Benjamite

. Gadite

. priestly name

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3414 Yirmyah yir-meh-yaw'

or Yirmyahuw {yir-meh-yaw'-hoo}; from 7311 and 3050; Jah will

rise; Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine

Israelites:--Jeremiah.

see HEBREW for 07311

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (yir.me.yah) — Jeremiah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.23.31;

father of: Hamutal (H2537)

§ Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed"

1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name

2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah

3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag

4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh

5) a Gadite and warrior of David

6) a warrior of David

7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony

8) a priest also in the time of Nehemiah; maybe same as 7

9) father of Jaazaniah the Rechabites

יִרְמְיָ֫הוּ (yir.me.yah) — Jeremiah.

A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.24

§ Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed"

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
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jeremiah

Raised up or appointed by Jehovah. (1.) A Gadite who joined David in the wilderness (1 Chr. 12:10).

(2.) A Gadite warrior (1 Chr. 12:13).

(3.) A Benjamite slinger who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:4).

(4.) One of the chiefs of the tribe of Manasseh on the east of Jordan (1 Chr. 5:24).

(5.) The father of Hamutal (2 Kings 23:31), the wife of Josiah.

(6.) One of the “greater prophets” of the Old Testament, son of Hilkiah (q.v.), a priest of Anathoth (Jer. 1:1; 32:6). He was called to the prophetical office when still young (1:6), in the thirteenth year of Josiah…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament:-- Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal wife of Josiah. (2 Kings 23:31) (B.C. before 632.) 2,3,4. Three warriors --two of the tribe of Gad-- in David’s army. (1 Chronicles 12:4,10,13) (B.C. 1061-53.) One of the "mighty men of valor" of the transjordanic half-tribe of Manasseh. (1 Chronicles 5:24) (B.C. 782.) A priest of high rank, head of the second or third of the twenty-one courses which are apparently enumerated in (Nehemiah 10:2-8; 12:1,12) (B.C. 446-410). The father of Jazaniah the Rechabite. (Jeremiah 35:3) (B.C. before…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the chief prophets of the Old Testament, prophesied under Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, and also after the captivity of the latter. He was born at Anathoth, of the race of the priests, and was destined of God to be a prophet, and consecrated for that object before his birth, Jer 1:1,5. At an early age he was called to act as a prophet, B. C. 628, in the thirteenth year of King Josiah. This good king no doubt cooperated with him to promote the reformation of the people; but the subsequent life of the prophet was full of afflictions and persecutions. Jehoiakim threw his prophetic roll into the fire, and sought his life. Zedekiah was kindly instructed by him, and warned of the woes impending over his guilty people, and of their seventy years’ captivity, but to no purpose. The fidelity of the prophet often endangered his life…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

exaltation of the Lord

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.

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