Who was Hodaviah in the Bible?

Hodaviah was a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Jerusalem after the Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile. He is listed among the family heads of Benjamin in the book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 11:7-9).

Why is Hodaviah mentioned in the Bible?

Hodaviah is mentioned to document the repopulation of Jerusalem after the exile, showing the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people. His inclusion highlights the continuity of the tribe of Benjamin and the importance of maintaining accurate genealogical records (Nehemiah 11:4).

What was Hodaviah's significance in the tribe of Benjamin?

As a family head, Hodaviah represented a lineage within Benjamin that chose to resettle in Jerusalem, demonstrating commitment to rebuilding the holy city. His presence helped reestablish the tribal and social structure of Israel after a period of national disruption.

Hodaviah

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleSon of hassenuah

Hodaviah was a descendant of Benjamin who resided in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.

Hodaviah

Biography

Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah, was a Benjamite who resettled in Jerusalem following the return from Babylonian captivity, as recorded in Nehemiah 11:7 and the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 9:7. He is identified as a forefather of Sallu, one of the first Benjamites to take up permanent residence again in the holy city after the exile. His return to Jerusalem was part of the deliberate repopulation effort that Nehemiah and Ezra organized to reestablish a viable Jewish community in the city of David. Although details of his personal life are sparse, his presence among the returning remnant positions him as one of the faithful who participated in the concrete post-exilic restoration of Israel's national and religious center.

Significance

Hodaviah's significance is bound up in the broader movement of post-exilic restoration. His return to Jerusalem as a Benjamite, a tribe historically connected to the royal city, symbolizes the regathering of God's scattered people in fulfillment of prophetic promises. Passages such as Jeremiah 29:10 and Isaiah 40:1–2 had spoken of return from captivity, and each returning family represented the concrete realization of those promises. As an ancestor of Benjamites who resettled Jerusalem, Hodaviah helped reconstitute the covenant community in its sacred center. His story reflects the enduring faithfulness of a God who does not abandon his people even through decades of exile, displacement, and apparent divine silence.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 9:7

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]

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