<strong>PETHAHIAH</strong> (pĕth'a-hī'a, Heb. <em>pethahyâh, Jehovah opens up</em>)<br /><br />

The head priest of the nineteenth course of priests during David’s reign (<bibleref ref="1Chr.24.16">1Chr.24.16</bibleref>).A disobedient Levite who, in Ezra’s time, married a foreign woman (<bibleref ref="Ezra.10.23">Ezra.10.23</bibleref>). Most scholars identify him with the one named in <bibleref ref="Neh.9.5">Neh.9.5</bibleref>.Meshezabel’s son who descended from Zearah from the tribe of Judah. He was the counselor for King Artaxerxes “in all affairs relating to the people” (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.24">Neh.11.24</bibleref>).

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<strong>PETHAHIAH</strong> <strong>pĕth’ ə hī’ ə</strong> (<span class="hebrew">פְתַחְיָה</span>). 1. The ancestor of a postexilic priestly family (<bibleref ref="1Chr.24.16">1 Chron 24:16</bibleref>).<br /><br />

2. A Levite who was among those induced by Ezra to put away their foreign wives (<bibleref ref="Ezra.10.23">Ezra 10:23</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="1Esd.9.23">1 Esd 9:23</bibleref>; KJV, ASV Apoc., PATHEUS, păth’ ə ŭs).

3. A Levite (<bibleref ref="Neh.9.5">Neh 9:5</bibleref>); perhaps the same as 2.

4. Son of Meshezabel; he advised Zerubbabel in matters “concerning the people” (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.24">Neh 11:24</bibleref>).

<h2>International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)</h2>

(Pethachyah, "Yah opens up"):<br /><br />

(1) Chief of the 19th course of priests (<bibleref ref="1Chr.24.16">1Ch 24:16</bibleref>).

(2) One of the Levites having "foreign wives" (<bibleref ref="Ezra.10.23">Ezr 10:23</bibleref>; <bibleref ref="Neh.9.5">Ne 9:5</bibleref>; "Patheus" in 1 Esdras 9:23).

(3) Son of Meshezabeel, descendant of Judah, who was "at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people" (<bibleref ref="Neh.11.24">Ne 11:24</bibleref>).

Pethahiah