Hakkatan

Father of Johanan, a returning exile

El regresoLeaderc. 5th century BC

Hakkatan is mentioned in the book of Ezra as the father of Johanan, who led a group from the descendants of Asaph (the clan of Azgad) back to Jerusalem from Babylon under Ezra's leadership. He is one of the family heads who returned to the Promised Land after the exile, representing loyalty to God's people and their homeland.

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Mentioned in the list of returning exiles

Hakkatan is mentioned as the father of Johanan, who led 110 men from the clan of Azgad back to Jerusalem from Babylon under Ezra's leadership.

12of the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
וּמִבְּנֵ֣י עַזְגָּ֔ד יוֹחָנָ֖ן בֶּן־הַקָּטָ֑ן וְעִמּ֕וֹ מֵאָ֥ה וַעֲשָׂרָ֖ה הַזְּכָרִֽים׃ ס ‬

Ezra's caravan from Babylon

Hakkatan's son Johanan was among the family heads who gathered at the river that flows toward Ahava, to travel to Jerusalem with Ezra.

1These are the heads of their families, and this is the genealogical record of those who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
וְאֵ֛לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֥י אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֖ם וְהִתְיַחְשָׂ֑ם הָעֹלִ֣ים עִמִּ֗י בְּמַלְכ֛וּת אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִבָּבֶֽל׃ ס ‬
12of the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
וּמִבְּנֵ֣י עַזְגָּ֔ד יוֹחָנָ֖ן בֶּן־הַקָּטָ֑ן וְעִמּ֕וֹ מֵאָ֥ה וַעֲשָׂרָ֖ה הַזְּכָרִֽים׃ ס ‬
15I assembled them at the river that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I reviewed the people and the priests, I found no Levites among them.
וָֽאֶקְבְּצֵ֗ם אֶל־הַנָּהָר֙ הַבָּ֣א אֶֽל־אַהֲוָ֔א וַנַּחֲנֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֣ים שְׁלֹשָׁ֑ה וָאָבִ֤ינָה בָעָם֙ וּבַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים וּמִבְּנֵ֥י לֵוִ֖י לֹא־מָצָ֥אתִי שָֽׁם׃ ‬

Fasting and prayer before the journey

The group that included Hakkatan's son Johanan fasted and prayed to God for a safe journey, as they were too proud to ask the king for military escort.

21There by the Ahava River I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.
וָאֶקְרָ֨א שָׁ֥ם צוֹם֙ עַל־הַנָּהָ֣ר אַהֲוָ֔א לְהִתְעַנּ֖וֹת לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְשָׁרָ֔ה לָ֥נוּ וּלְטַפֵּ֖נוּ וּלְכָל־רְכוּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ ‬
22I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies along the way, since we had told him, "The hand of our God is upon all who seek him, for good; but his power and his anger are against all who forsake him."
כִּ֣י בֹ֗שְׁתִּי לִשְׁא֤וֹל מִן־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ חַ֣יִל וּפָרָשִׁ֔ים לְעָזְרֵ֥נוּ מֵאוֹיֵ֖ב בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ כִּֽי־אָמַ֨רְנוּ לַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֗ר יַד־אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ עַל־כָּל־מְבַקְשָׁיו֙ לְטוֹבָ֔ה וְעֻזּ֣וֹ וְאַפּ֔וֹ עַ֖ל כָּל־עֹזְבָֽיו׃ ‬
23So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
וַנָּצ֛וּמָה וַנְּבַקְשָׁ֥ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ עַל־זֹ֑את וַיֵּעָתֵ֖ר לָֽנוּ׃ ‬

Safe arrival in Jerusalem

Hakkatan's son Johanan and the other returnees arrived safely in Jerusalem with gifts and temple equipment, protected by God's hand.

31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava River to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us, and he protected us from enemies and from bandits along the way.
וַֽנִּסְעָ֞ה מִנְּהַ֣ר אֽ͏ַהֲוָ֗א בִּשְׁנֵ֤ים עָשָׂר֙ לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן לָלֶ֖כֶת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְיַד־אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ הָיְתָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וַיַּ֨צִּילֵ֔נוּ מִכַּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֛ב וְאוֹרֵ֖ב עַל־הַדָּֽרֶךְ׃ ‬
32We arrived in Jerusalem and stayed there three days.
וַנָּב֖וֹא יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וַנֵּ֥שֶׁב שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֥ים שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ ‬
33On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed out in the house of our God into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, and with him Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.
וּבַיּ֣וֹם הָרְבִיעִ֡י נִשְׁקַ֣ל הַכֶּסֶף֩ וְהַזָּהָ֨ב וְהַכֵּלִ֜ים בְּבֵ֣ית אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עַ֠ל יַד־מְרֵמ֤וֹת בֶּן־אֽוּרִיָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְעִמּ֖וֹ אֶלְעָזָ֣ר בֶּן־פִּֽינְחָ֑ס וְעִמָּהֶ֞ם יוֹזָבָ֧ד בֶּן־יֵשׁ֛וּעַ וְנֽוֹעַדְיָ֥ה בֶן־בִּנּ֖וּי הַלְוִיִּֽם׃ ‬
34Everything was counted and weighed, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
בְּמִסְפָּ֥ר בְּמִשְׁקָ֖ל לַכֹּ֑ל וַיִּכָּתֵ֥ב כָּֽל־הַמִּשְׁקָ֖ל בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃ פ ‬

Parallel mention in Ezra

Hakkatan is also mentioned in the apocryphal book 1 Esdras in a parallel account of the return from exile, which confirms his historical role.

12of the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
וּמִבְּנֵ֣י עַזְגָּ֔ד יוֹחָנָ֖ן בֶּן־הַקָּטָ֑ן וְעִמּ֕וֹ מֵאָ֥ה וַעֲשָׂרָ֖ה הַזְּכָרִֽים׃ ס ‬

Mencionado en la Biblia (1)