Hazaiah
Hazaiah was an ancestor of Maaseiah, a leader who lived in Jerusalem. (Neh.11.5)
Biography
Hazaiah is mentioned in Nehemiah 11:5 as an ancestor in the lineage of Maaseiah, one of the notable Judahite leaders who settled in Jerusalem during the repopulation effort organized by Nehemiah. Following the completion of the walls, Nehemiah worked to increase Jerusalem's population by having one in ten people from surrounding towns relocate to the city (Nehemiah 11:1-2). Maaseiah, Hazaiah's descendant, was among the chosen settlers, and the careful preservation of his ancestry reflects the community's concern for genealogical legitimacy and tribal continuity. Hazaiah's name, meaning 'Yahweh sees,' embeds a confession of divine providence within a family lineage.
Significance
Though Hazaiah appears only as an ancestral name, the preservation of his memory in Nehemiah's genealogical records carries theological weight. In the post-exilic community, genealogies were not mere historical records; they were declarations of identity, belonging, and covenant continuity. To trace one's lineage faithfully was to assert one's place within the people of God. Hazaiah's name: 'Yahweh sees', is itself a theological statement, suggesting a family tradition that trusted in God's watchful care even through exile. His descendants' resettlement in Jerusalem represents the conviction that God's eye remained upon his people and his city.
Verse Appearances (1)
Nehemiah
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]