Lexical Definition

‎דְּלָיָה‎ Dᵉlâyâh (del-aw-yaw') Delaiah ^N:N-M-P
or (prolonged) דְּלָיָהוּ Dᵉlâyâhûw (del-aw-yaw'-hoo); from ‎דָּלָה‎ and ‎יָהּ‎; Jah has delivered

Dalaiah, Delaiah.

• § Dalaiah or Delaiah = "Jehovah has drawn"
• Delajah, the name of five Israelites

1) a priest in the time of David, leader of the 23rd course
2) a son of Shemaiah, a ruler of Judah in the time of Jeremiah in the court of Jehoiakim
3) the head of an exilic family, of uncertain pedigree, claiming to be Israelites in the time of Zerubbabel
4) a descendant of Zerubbabel
5) the son of Mehetabeel and the father of Shemaiah, a contemporary of Nehemiah

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.24.18

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎דְּלָיָ֫הוּ‎, ‎דְּלָיָה‎ proper name, masculine (Yah(u) hath drawn) —

1. ‎דְּלָיָהוּ‎,
a. a priest, contemporary of David, 1Chr 24:18.
b. a prince of Judah, contemporary of Jeremiah Jer 36:12; Jer 36:25.

2. ‎דְּלָיָה‎,
a. head of a family contemporary with Zerubbabel Ezra 2:60 = Neh 7:62.
b. descendant of Zerubbabel. 1Chr 3:24.
c. father of contemporary of Nehemiah Neh 6:10.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • Priest in charge of the twenty-third division

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Delaiah was a priest appointed by David to be in charge of the twenty-third division of the priestly order. (1Ch.24.18)

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.24.18;
• only referred to as Delaiah דְּלָיָה.

Delaiah is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 24:18 as a priest who was appointed by King David to oversee the twenty-third division of the priestly order. David, along with Zadok and Ahimelech, organized the priests into twenty-four divisions to ensure a systematic and orderly service in the temple.

Each division was responsible for serving in the temple for a specific period, and the order was determined by casting lots. Delaiah's division was the twenty-third in the order of service.

The organization of the priests into divisions allowed for a fair distribution of duties and responsibilities, ensuring that the temple service ran smoothly and efficiently. This system also allowed the priests to balance their temple duties with their other responsibilities, such as teaching the law and ministering to the people.

Apart from this mention in the context of the priestly divisions, no other details are provided about Delaiah's life or specific role. His inclusion in this list highlights the importance of the priestly order and the organization of the temple service during the reign of King David.

All entries for Delaiah: דְּלָיָה