Who was Tebaliah in the Bible?

Tebaliah was a Levite who served as a gatekeeper for the Tabernacle during King David's reign. He was the third son of Hosah, from the Merari clan of Levites (1 Chronicles 26:11).

What was Tebaliah's role and significance?

As a gatekeeper, Tebaliah's role was to guard the sacred tent and its treasures, a vital duty for maintaining order and holiness in worship. His assignment by lot to the west gate highlights the organized, God-appointed structure of Levitical service (1 Chronicles 26:1, 13-14).

What do we know about Tebaliah's life and family?

The Bible records Tebaliah as one of Hosah's sons, appointed by lot to serve. While no specific events of his life are detailed, his inclusion in the official registry of gatekeepers confirms his faithful service within the lineage and system established by David (1 Chronicles 26:1, 11).

Tebaliah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleLeviteSon

Tebaliah was a Levite gatekeeper, the third son of Hosah.

Tebaliah

Biography

Tebaliah was a Levite serving during the reign of David, identified in 1 Chronicles 26:11 as the third son of Hosah of the Merarite clan. Along with his brothers Shimri, Hilkiah, and Zechariah, Tebaliah was appointed as a gatekeeper for the temple complex that David was organizing in preparation for Solomon's eventual construction of the house of God. The Hosah family was assigned to the western gate and the gate of Shallecheth, which faced the ascending road (1 Chronicles 26:16). Though Tebaliah's individual responsibilities are not elaborated beyond this appointment, he was part of a carefully ordered priestly infrastructure designed to maintain the sanctity and order of Israel's central place of worship.

Significance

Tebaliah represents the largely anonymous but indispensable cohort of Levitical servants whose faithfulness sustained Israel's corporate worship. The careful enumeration of gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles 26 reflects David's conviction that the house of God deserved meticulous organization, a theology of sacred order that valued every role, however obscure. Gatekeepers were not peripheral figures; they controlled access to the holy precincts, guarding against ritual contamination and unauthorized entry (cf. 2 Chronicles 23:19). Tebaliah's inclusion in this list testifies to the dignity David accorded all Levitical service, and to the broader biblical principle that faithfulness in small, unseen roles is as honored before God as prominence in public leadership.

Authority Records

Wikidata

SiblingZechariah

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 26:11

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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