Shema

1. A Reubenite, 1 Ch 5' (BA ^a^, Luc. SfM"'). See Shimei, No. 8. 2. One of the heads of 'fathers' houses' in Aijalon who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath, 1 Ch S'- (BA Sd/^a, Luc. Zafiad). He is called in v/" Shimei. 3. One of those who stood at Ezra's right hand, at the reading of the law, Neh S (2a/«ias). He is called in 1 Es 9" Sammus. SHEMA {v'-4 ; A Zafiai, Luc. Zo,ai).—A town of Judah, situated in the Negeb or South, and men- tioned between Amani and Moladah (Jos 15 ). Some authorities suppose it to be the same place as Slieba(Jos 19=), being a corruption of that name. On the other hand, if Sheba and Beersheba be identical (see SilEliA), this cannot be the case, for Shema and Beersheba are both found in the list of towns in Jos 15. The site is unknown It is probably this Shema which appears in 1 Ch :«" aa a ' son ' of Hebron. SHEMAAH (njfo^n; B 'AM. A SaMod, Lnc, 'Aa-^). —A Beniamite, father, according to M 1 , of Ahiezer and Joasli, but, according to the LXX (i/i6s=l^ instead of -j?), of Joash alone, 1 Ch 12^. SHEMAIAH (.13,5?' ; in 2 Ch 11' 17» 31<» 35', Jer 26=" 29= 36'» ins?T ! ' •>" ^^ ''^'^'"'^ '•" V / twenty-four persons who bore this name, only four can be certainly said to have belonged to other than prophetical or priestly families. 1. 6 -aM/oalas, A 2aMa(a5 (2 Ch 12'- ' . A prophet who with AhiJAII guided the revolution which deprived Rehoboam of the ten tribes. Accordin<' to the MT, he does not come on the scene until Rehoboam was on the point of leading a vast army against the revolters. He then appears ( 1 lv li , 2 Ch U=-) to give the Divine sanction to tlie re- beUion. ' Thus saith the LORD . . . this thing la from me.' But the second Greek account, which omits aU mention of Ahijah in this connexion, introduces Shemaiah at the assembly at bliechem, before the people entered into negotiations with Rehoboam. 'The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the Enlamite (cf. Jer 29« LXX). saying. Take to thee a new cloke which hath not gone into water, and rend it into twelve pieces ; and U.ou Shalt give it to Jeroboam, and shalt say unto hiin, SIIKM.UAII SHEMER 491 Thus saith the Lord, take to thee twelve pieces to cover thee. And Jeroboam took them, and Shema- iah said. Thus saith the LORD concerning the ten tribes of Israel' (1 K 12*°). This is evidently another version of the story told of Ahijah, 1 K jl»ff._ Theie is another mention of Sheraaiah in 2 Ch 12', in which he points the moral of the invasion of Shishak, and at the same time announces the mitigation of it in view of the repentance of KehoLoam. The Chronicler also cites ' the history of Shemaiah the prophet' as an authority for the reign of Kehoboaiu, 2 Ch 12". 2. Son of Sheeaniah (1 Ch 3^ Sa^iaid) ; ap. parently a descendant of Zerubbabel. It is tempt- ing to identify him with ' the keeper of the east gate,' who helped to repair the wall under Nehe- miah (Neh 3^ BA Za^aud, X Zefiad). On the other hand, Ryle conjectures that the latter was a Levite, and that ' the east gate was the eastern approach to the temple precincts.' Lord A. Hervey {Geneal. p. 107) would remove the opening words of 1 Ch 3-^, and read Shimei for the second Shemaiah, see v.. 8. A Simeonite (1 Ch 4" B Zv/iciif, A Zafialat), rrhaps identical with the Shimei of 1 Ch 4^- ". A Keubenite (1 Ch 5 B 2eMtei, A SeMf'"), called Shema in v.. 3. A Merarite Levite (1 Cli 9", Neh U" Zafiaii), one of those who dwelt in Jeru- salem. 6. A Levite of the family of Jeduthun, father of Obadiah or Abda (1 Ch 9'» B Zaaeid, A Za/iias, called Shammua in Neh 11"). 7. Head of the Levitical Kohathite clan of Elizaphan in the time of David (1 Cli 15« B Zafialas, A Ze/uud, X Zan^as ; v." B ~atiaiat, A Sf^f'^s, N 2o/tai). He is possibly identical with — 8. The scribe (1 Ch 24' J5 lo/ittJas, A Zafi/iaiat), the son of Nethanel, who registered the names of the priestly courses. 9. A Korahite Levite, eldest son of Obed-edom (1 Ch 26- • B £o/«iios, A Xandas ; v.' B I'a/zai, A Zefifid). 10. A Levite (2 Ch 17' B So/ioiJos, A Za/iovlas), one ot the commission employed by Jehoshapliat to teach the book of the law in Jndah. 11. A Levite ol the family of Jeduthun in the reign of Heze- kiah (2 Ch 29" B Zafiatas, A Zandas), one of those who took a leaHing part in the purifying of the temple. He is possibly identical with 12, one of those who were ' over the freewill otierings of Uod' (2 Ch 31" Ztfjitel). 13. One of ' the chiefs of the Levites' (2 Ch 3'y' Zia.uofaj ; 'captains over thousands,' 1 Es 1" where he is called Samaias). 14. One of the 'oliief men' sent by Ezra to fetch Levites and Nethinim (Ezr 8" Za/xaid, A Zefuid ; Haasmas, Samaias, 1 Es S'"- *) j possibly the same as — 15. A member of the family of Adonikam, ( Kzr 8" B Zaijuud, A Xatmud ; Samaias, 1 Es 8^). 16. 17. Two of tlioHe wlio had married foreign wives, a priest and a layman respectively (Ezr 1U-' Zaimii, V."' B Zafiatd, X Zefiei, A Za/ialat ; Sameus, SabbeaB, 1 Es 9-'- »■•'). 18. A prophet (Neh 6'"-' 11 Ze/Kel, A le^iei) who had been hired by Sanballat and Tobiah ' to put Nehemiali in fear.' His father's name, Delaiah (see 1 Ch 24"), wouUl suggest that he belonged to a priestly house. The circumstance is evidently mentioned b}' Nehemiah as a typical one. The governor's answer to Sheniaiah's sug- estion indicates that his design was at once to ring Nehemiah into contempt as a coward, and also to expose him to the charge of sacrilege, which would be certainly raised if he, a layman, were to intrude where priests alone might tread. 19. One of the 24 courses of jiriests, 16th under Zerubbabel (Neh 12" XA Ztfidas), 15th under Joinkim (Neh 12" X.\ Xe/ittd), and 21st under Nehemiah (Neh W Za^ii). It is probably this c'.an, and not an individual, that is mentioned as taking part in the ceremonies at the dedication of the wall (Neh 12" Bs Zapaid, A Zaimlat). 20. Prol)ab!y a Levite, descendant of Asaph (Neh 12" E Za/iaid). 21. Probably a Levitical clan of singeri that took part in the dedication ceremonies (Neh 12^ Za/uiid; v.« ^'•^'^ Ze/ielat). We may sup- pose that half of it went in one procession and hali in the other. 22. Father of the prophet Urijah (Jer 26 [Gr. 33] >" BA So/ialat, N Ma«as). 23. A prophet at Babylon, one of those who had been brought into captivity with Jehoiachin (Jer 29 [Gr. 36] "-^ Zafiaids, N^oMtdt). He is called 'the Nehelamite' (which see). He belonged to the party opposed to Jeremiah, and it is evident that, likeHANANIAH (Jer 28), he had predicted a speedy termination to the Captivity. Enraged at the letter of Jeremiah, in which the exiles had been counselled to acquiesce cheerfully in a prolonged stay in Babylon, Shemaiah sent letters to Jeru- salem taxing Zephaniah the second priest and the other ecclesiastical authorities with supineuess, in that they did not visit Jeremiah with the punish- ment due to a false prophet. It would seem from this that it was the special duty of the ' second priest ' to enforce order in the temple (see art. Priests and Levites, p. 74*). 'Jehoiada the priest' may possibly be the name of Zcphaniah's predecessor in the office of ' second priest,' or more probably he may be the great high priest of that name whose zeal in God's service Shemaiah bids Zephaniah emulate. The punishment denounced against Shemaiah for this action was even more severe, according to Hebrew ideas, than that awarded to Hauaniah. The latter was visited in his own person with premature death, but Shemaiah was punished not only with exclusion by death from such blessings as might fall to the lot of the exiles in Babylon, but with the complete excision of his family. 24. Father of Delaiah, who was one of the princes in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 36 [Gr. 43] '- BA ZiXe/ilas, N ZtoeKias). N. J. D. White.