Early Access: Sign up to unlock all Pro features free through the end of 2026.
Biblexika

Hashbaddanah

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleReturned leader

Hashbaddanah was one of the men who stood with Ezra during the public reading of the Law. (Neh.8.4)

Hashbaddanah illustration
Hashbaddanah

Biography

Hashbaddanah was one of thirteen men who stood on a wooden platform beside Ezra the scribe during the landmark public reading of the Law described in Nehemiah 8:4. When Ezra opened the Torah before the assembled congregation, men, women, and all who could understand, gathered in the square before the Water Gate, these men stood to his left and right as visible signs of communal endorsement and solemn support. The reading, accompanied by Levitical exposition and the people's tearful response, marked a watershed moment in Israel's post-exilic renewal. Hashbaddanah's precise role, whether reader, translator, or honored dignitary, is not specified, but his presence flanking Ezra signals his standing among the community's recognized leaders.

Significance

Hashbaddanah's place beside Ezra in Nehemiah 8 situates him at a pivotal moment in biblical history: the public reinstatement of Torah as the governing charter of a restored Israel. This scene is often compared to the covenant renewals of Moses and Joshua, and those who stood with Ezra were witnesses to and participants in a new chapter of Israel's life under God's word. The gathering itself, the people weeping, listening, understanding, shows that Hashbaddanah's presence was part of something far greater than a reading ceremony. He stood at the intersection of Scripture and community, helping to anchor a generation's return to the living word of God.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

References

  1. Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
  2. Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
  3. Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
  4. Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources