Who was Shallum in the Bible?

Shallum was the son of Col-hozeh and served as the ruler of the district of Mizpah. He is noted for his faithful work in repairing the Fountain Gate and the wall of the Pool of Shelah during Nehemiah's project to rebuild Jerusalem's walls (Nehemiah 3:15).

What did Shallum do in the book of Nehemiah?

Shallum took responsibility for a crucial section of Jerusalem's reconstruction. He and his daughters repaired the Fountain Gate and the wall of the Pool of Shelah, which was near the King's Garden (Nehemiah 3:15).

Why is Shallum's role in Nehemiah significant?

Shallum's work demonstrates the collective effort and shared responsibility of the Jewish people in restoring Jerusalem. His mention, including the participation of his daughters, highlights that entire families contributed to this sacred national project.

Shallum

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleSon

Shallum, the son of Col-hozeh and ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate and the wall of the Pool of Shelah during Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls.

Shallum

Biography

Shallum son of Col-hozeh was a civic leader who served as ruler of the district of Mizpah during the governorship of Nehemiah in the mid-fifth century BC. He is specifically credited in Nehemiah 3:15 with repairing the Fountain Gate, rebuilding its structure, setting its doors, bolts, and bars, as well as constructing the wall of the Pool of Shelah (also called Siloam) as far as the king's garden and the stairs descending from the City of David. The Fountain Gate was a significant entrance on the southern end of Jerusalem's water infrastructure, making its repair both practically and symbolically important for the city's restoration. Shallum's industrious contribution to Nehemiah's great reconstruction project reflects the broad mobilization of civic leaders, priests, merchants, and laypeople in the renewal of Jerusalem's defenses.

Significance

Shallum's repair of the Fountain Gate and the Pool of Shelah wall (Nehemiah 3:15) contributes to the Chronicler's and Nehemiah's shared theological vision: that the restoration of Jerusalem was a divinely ordered work requiring the participation of the entire covenant community. Water gates and pools carried symbolic resonance in the ancient Near East as sources of life, and Shallum's stewardship of these structures reflects the broader renewal of Jerusalem as the city where God caused life to flow. His work exemplifies the principle that faithful leaders serve their communities through tangible, practical labor in God's mission. Nehemiah's detailed record of individual contributors honors those whose faithfulness, though modest in scope, advances God's larger redemptive purposes.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:15

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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