Baaseiah
Baaseiah was a Levite descended from Gershom, the son of Levi.
Biography
Baaseiah was a Levite descended from Gershom, the eldest son of Levi, appearing in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles 6:40. He is listed in the lineage that the Chronicler traces from Levi down to Asaph, the famous musician and psalmist who led worship during David's reign. The Gershonite line, of which Baaseiah was a part, held distinct responsibilities in the Tabernacle and Temple service, including the care of the curtains and coverings of the sanctuary. Baaseiah's name, which may mean "the LORD is my work" or "in the work of the LORD," situates him within a family tradition of Levitical service that stretched across centuries from the wilderness period to the monarchy.
Significance
Baaseiah's place in the Levitical genealogy leading to Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:39–43) connects him to one of the most significant worship traditions in Israel's history. Asaph's psalms (Psalms 50, 73–83) represent a distinct theological and liturgical voice within the Psalter, characterized by their wrestling with theodicy, divine judgment, and covenant faithfulness. The ancestral chain from Gershom through Baaseiah to Asaph illustrates that great worship leaders emerge from communities of faithful, if largely anonymous, servants. Theologically, Baaseiah represents the indispensable but hidden work of successive generations who maintained Levitical traditions, ensuring that Israel's worship life survived and flourished, a ministry whose ultimate purpose was to point God's people toward his glory.
Verse Appearances (1)
1 Chronicles
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]