Nesiah
Descendant of Adonikam
Also known as: Nezia, Neziah
Nesiah (also known as Nesha) is a person mentioned in the book of Ezra as one of the descendants who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He is listed among those who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylon to Judah. His role was primarily as part of the Jewish people's return and the rebuilding of society in the promised land.
Key events
The Return from Babylon
Nesiah was among those who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua.
1These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town.
וְאֵ֣לֶּה ׀ בְּנֵ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֗ה הָֽעֹלִים֙ מִשְּׁבִ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶגְלָ֛ה *נבוכדנצור **נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל לְבָבֶ֑ל וַיָּשׁ֛וּבוּ לִירוּשָׁלַ֥͏ִם וִֽיהוּדָ֖ה אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃
2They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣אוּ עִם־זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל יֵשׁ֡וּעַ נְ֠חֶמְיָה שְׂרָיָ֨ה רְֽעֵלָיָ֜ה מָרְדֳּכַ֥י בִּלְשָׁ֛ן מִסְפָּ֥ר בִּגְוַ֖י רְח֣וּם בַּעֲנָ֑ה מִסְפַּ֕ר אַנְשֵׁ֖י עַ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had come up first, and I found written in it:
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֱלֹהַי֙ אֶל־לִבִּ֔י וָאֶקְבְּצָ֞ה אֶת־הַחֹרִ֧ים וְאֶת־הַסְּגָנִ֛ים וְאֶת־הָעָ֖ם לְהִתְיַחֵ֑שׂ וָֽאֶמְצָ֗א סֵ֤פֶר הַיַּ֙חַשׂ֙ הָעוֹלִ֣ים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֔ה וָאֶמְצָ֖א כָּת֥וּב בּֽוֹ׃ פ
6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town.
אֵ֣לֶּה ׀ בְּנֵ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֗ה הָעֹלִים֙ מִשְּׁבִ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶגְלָ֔ה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל וַיָּשׁ֧וּבוּ לִֽירוּשָׁלַ֛͏ִם וְלִיהוּדָ֖ה אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃
7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
הַבָּאִ֣ים עִם־זְרֻבָּבֶ֗ל יֵשׁ֡וּעַ נְחֶמְיָ֡ה עֲ֠זַרְיָה רַֽעַמְיָ֨ה נַחֲמָ֜נִי מָרְדֳּכַ֥י בִּלְשָׁ֛ן מִסְפֶּ֥רֶת בִּגְוַ֖י נְח֣וּם בַּעֲנָ֑ה מִסְפַּ֕ר אַנְשֵׁ֖י עַ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
Listed Among the Temple Servants
Nesiah is mentioned among the Nethinim (temple servants) who returned to Jerusalem, indicating his connection to service in the temple.
50the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephusim,
בְּנֵי־אַסְנָ֥ה בְנֵי־*מעינים **מְעוּנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י *נפיסים **נְפוּסִֽים׃
52Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim,
בְּנֵי־בֵסַ֥י בְּנֵי־מְעוּנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י *נפושסים **נְפִֽישְׁסִֽים׃
Settlement in Jerusalem and Surrounding Areas
After the return, the temple servants, including Nesiah's descendants, settled in Jerusalem and nearby cities to resume their service.
70So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their towns, and all Israel in their towns.
וַיֵּשְׁב֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְ֠הַלְוִיִּם וּֽמִן־הָעָ֞ם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִ֧ים וְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֛ים וְהַנְּתִינִ֖ים בְּעָרֵיהֶ֑ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּעָרֵיהֶֽם׃ ס
Rebuilding the Community
As part of the returning exiles, Nesiah's family contributed to the rebuilding of the religious and social community in Judah.
1When the seventh month came, and the Israelites were settled in their towns, the people gathered as one in Jerusalem.
וַיִּגַּע֙ הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֶּעָרִ֑ים ס וַיֵּאָסְפ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם כְּאִ֥ישׁ אֶחָ֖ד אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ ס
2Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, together with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his kinsmen, set to work and rebuilt the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it as prescribed in the Law of Moses, the man of God.
וַיָּקָם֩ יֵשׁ֨וּעַ בֶּן־יֽוֹצָדָ֜ק וְאֶחָ֣יו הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וּזְרֻבָּבֶ֤ל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל֙ וְאֶחָ֔יו וַיִּבְנ֕וּ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֖ח אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְהַעֲל֤וֹת עָלָיו֙ עֹל֔וֹת כַּכָּת֕וּב בְּתוֹרַ֖ת מֹשֶׁ֥ה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
3They set the altar on its foundations, for they were in dread of the peoples of the surrounding lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both morning and evening offerings.
וַיָּכִ֤ינוּ הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ עַל־מְכ֣וֹנֹתָ֔יו כִּ֚י בְּאֵימָ֣ה עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת *ויעל **וַיַּעֲל֨וּ עָלָ֤יו עֹלוֹת֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה עֹל֖וֹת לַבֹּ֥קֶר וְלָעָֽרֶב׃
3These are the heads of the province who settled in Jerusalem, while in the towns of Judah everyone lived on his own property in his own town — Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמְּדִינָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וּבְעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֗ה יָֽשְׁב֞וּ אִ֤ישׁ בַּאֲחֻזָּתוֹ֙ בְּעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ וְהַלְוִיִּ֣ם וְהַנְּתִינִ֔ים וּבְנֵ֖י עַבְדֵ֥י שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
21The temple servants lived on Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.
וְהַנְּתִינִ֖ים יֹשְׁבִ֣ים בָּעֹ֑פֶל וְצִיחָ֥א וְגִשְׁפָּ֖א עַל־הַנְּתִינִֽים׃ פ