Meshullam

MESHULLAM (mē-shŭl'ăm, Heb. meshullām, reconciled). A very common name in the OT.

1. A gandfather of Shaphan, trusted scribe of Josiah (2Kgs.22.3).

2. A son of Zerubbabel in the Jewish royal family (1Chr.3.19).

3. A leading Gadite in the days of Jeroboam II (1Chr.5.13).

4. A chief Benjamite in Jerusalem (1Chr.8.17).

5. The father of Sallu, a Benjamite of Jerusalem after the Captivity (1Chr.9.7).

6. Another Benjamite of Jerusalem (1Chr.9.8).

7. A priest in the high-priestly lines whose descendants lived at Jerusalem (1Chr.9.11; Neh.11.11).

8. An ancestor of another priest (1Chr.9.12).

9. A Kohathite, overseer of repairing the temple in the days of Josiah (2Chr.34.12).

10. A chief man who returned with Ezra in 457 b.c. (Ezra.8.16).

11. One appointed by Ezra in the matter of doing away with foreign marriages (Ezra.10.15).

12. One of the offenders in this matter (Ezra.10.29).

13. One who rebuilt two portions of the wall but was connected by marriage with Tobiah, who hindered the rebuilding (Neh.3.4, Neh.3.30; Neh.6.18).

14. Another repairer (Neh.3.6).

15. One who stood with Ezra in the revival (Neh.8.4).

16. A priest who signed the covenant with Nehemiah (Neh.10.7).

17. Another covenanter (Neh.10.20).

18. A man of Benjamin whose descendants lived in Jerusalem about 444 b.c. (Neh.11.7).

19. A priest c. 470 b.c. (Neh.12.13).

20. Possibly the same man as no. 19 (Neh.12.33).

21. Another priest c. 470 b.c. (Neh.12.16).

22. A Levite gatekeeper at the same time (Neh.12.25).

2. A son of Zerubbabel, and scion of the house of David (1 Chron 3:19).

3. A leader among the Gadites who lived in Bashan (5:13).

4. A son of Elpaal, a Benjamite (8:17).

5. Father of Sallu of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chron 9:7; Neh 11:7).

6. A son of Shephatiah also of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chron 9:8).

7. A priest of the famous family of Zadok, and the father of Hilkiah the high priest who in the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:8f.) found the Book of the Law in the Temple (1 Chron 9:11; Neh 11:11); (see Zadok).

8. A son of Meshillemith also of the Zadokite family of priests (1 Chron 9:12).

9. A Kohathite who served as an overseer in repairing the house of the Lord during the reign of Josiah (2 Chron 34:12).

10. One of the leading men who returned from exile with Ezra. He assisted Ezra in recruiting Levites for the return (Ezra 8:16).

11. A man who opposed Ezra in the matter of foreign wives (10:15).

12. A son of Bani who had married a foreign wife (10:29).

13. A son of Berechiah and one of those who helped repair the wall (perhaps two sections) of Jerusalem (Neh 3:4, 30). His daughter is given in marriage to Jehohanan (6:18).

14. A son of Besodiah who helped repair the Old Gate, one of the many gates in the wall of Jerusalem (3:6).

15. A leader among the people who was given the honor of standing at the left hand of Ezra as he read the law to the people (8:4).

16. A priest who signed the covenant with Nehemiah (10:7).

17. A leader among the people who also signed the covenant with Nehemiah (10:20).

18. A priest of the family of Ezra in the time of the high priest Joiakim (12:13).

19. The head of the priestly family of Ginnethon in the days of Joiakim (12:16).

20. A gatekeeper who stood guard at the storehouses of the gates during the governorship of Nehemiah (12:25).

21. A prince of the people who assisted in the dedication of the wall (12:33).

Meshullam seems to have been an esp. popular name among the Jews during the exilic and postexilic periods. Perhaps it was because the idea of reconciliation and renewed friendship with God was strong in the minds of the people.

Bibliography

Brown, Driver and Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon (reprint 1955), 1024; M. F. Unger, Bible Dictionary (1961), 716.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

An Old Testament name very common in post-exilic times.

(1) The grandfather of Shaphan (2Ki 22:3).

(2) A son of Zerubbabel (1Ch 3:19).

(3) A Gadite (1Ch 5:13).

(4) (5) (6) Three Benjamites (1Ch 8:17; 9:7,8).

(7) The father of Hilkiah (1Ch 9:11; Ne 11:11).

(8) A priest, son of Meshillemith (1Ch 9:12); the parallel list (Ne 11:13) omits the name.

(9) A Kohathite appointed by Josiah as one of the overseers to direct the repairs of the temple (2Ch 34:12).

(10) One of the chief men sent by Ezra to procure Levites to go up with him to Jerusalem (Ezr 8:16; compare 1 Esdras 8:44).

(11) A Levite opposed to Ezra’s regulations anent marriage with foreigners (Ezr 10:15; 1 Esdras 9:14).

(12) One of those who had married foreign wives (Ezr 10:29; compare 1 Esdras 9:30).

(13) One of the repairers of the wall (Ne 3:4,30). His daughter was married to Jehohanan, the son of Tobiah the Ammonite (Ne 6:18).

(14) One of the repairers of the Old Gate (Ne 3:6).

(15) A supporter of Ezra at the reading of the Law (Ne 8:4).

(16) One of those who subscribed the Covenant (Ne 10:20).

(17) A priest who subscribed the Covenant (Ne 10:7).

(18) (19) Two priests at the time of the high priest Joiakim (Ne 12:13,16).

(20) A porter at the time of the high priest Joiakim (Ne 12:25).

(21) A processionist at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Ne 12:33).

John A. Less