Hatipha
Hatipha was an ancestor of temple servants who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. (Ezr.2.54; Neh.7.56)
Biography
Hatipha is known through the post-exilic census lists of Ezra 2:54 and Nehemiah 7:56, where his descendants are enumerated among the Nethinim, the temple servants who returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity. The Nethinim were a class of temple workers assigned to assist the Levites in the service of the sanctuary. Though Hatipha himself lived before the exile, his household endured the Babylonian deportation and chose, when Cyrus the Great issued his decree of liberation (Ezra 1:1-4), to make the long and difficult journey back to the promised land. His descendants were among those who chose covenant fidelity over the relative comfort of remaining in Babylon, reestablishing worship at the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
Significance
Hatipha's significance lies in his role as the progenitor of a family devoted to sacred service. The Nethinim, as a class, embodied humble faithfulness, supporting the Levites and priests so that temple worship could function. The return of Hatipha's descendants under Zerubbabel demonstrates that God's purposes were carried forward not only through prominent leaders but through ordinary servant families. Their faithfulness across generations, enduring exile and returning to rebuild, illustrates the continuity of God's covenant community and the importance of every role within it, no matter how overlooked by history.
Verse Appearances (2)
Ezra
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]