Who was Rehum in the Bible?

Rehum was a leader among the Jewish exiles who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel to help rebuild the Temple. He is listed among the family heads and leaders in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:2, Nehemiah 7:7).

What did Rehum do in the Bible?

Rehum's primary biblical role was as a signatory to the covenant renewal led by Nehemiah, pledging to follow God's Law. This event is recorded in Nehemiah 10, where he is listed among the leaders who sealed the binding agreement (Nehemiah 10:25).

Why is Rehum significant in the Bible?

Rehum represents the faithful remnant who returned from exile to restore worship in Jerusalem. His presence highlights the community's commitment to re-establish their identity and covenant with God after a period of judgment and displacement.

Rehum

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleReturned leader

Rehum (or Harim or Nehum) was one of the leaders who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel after the Babylonian exile.

Rehum

Biography

Rehum, also identified as Nehum in some manuscripts of Nehemiah 7:7 and possibly Raamiah in Ezra 2:2, was among the twelve prominent leaders who accompanied Zerubbabel on the first wave of Jewish returnees from Babylonian exile. This return, described in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, brought the initial contingent back to the land of Judah with the blessing of Cyrus the Great following his decree of 538 BC. Zerubbabel and his companions were tasked with resettling the community, rebuilding the altar, and eventually reconstructing the temple. Rehum's position at the head of the returnee list signals his communal authority. The variation in his name across sources reflects the common scribal and transmission challenges of the post-exilic literature.

Significance

As one of the twelve leaders who spearheaded the return from Babylon, Rehum participated in one of the most theologically charged events in the Old Testament narrative: the fulfillment of prophetic promises that God would bring his scattered people home. The deliberate parallel between the twelve leaders of the return and the twelve patriarchs of Israel suggests that the Chronicler and Ezra-Nehemiah saw the restoration as a reconstitution of the covenant people. Rehum and his companions were not simply administrators; they were bearers of God's redemptive promise. Their willingness to leave Babylon and face the hardships of rebuilding a ruined land testifies to a faith grounded in divine faithfulness across generations.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:17

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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