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
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| דְּלָיָ֛ה | Delaiah | Neh.6.10 |
Extended Information
- A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.6.10
- son of: Mehetabel (מְהֵיטַבְאֵל)
- father of: Shemaiah (שְׁמַעְיָה)
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
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| 1 Chronicles | 3:24 · 24:18 |
| Ezra | 2:60 |
| Nehemiah | 6:10 · 7:62 |
| Jeremiah | 36:12 · 36:25 |
Profile
Male • Nehemiah's opponent • Father of Shemaiah, who tried to deceive Nehemiah
Man living at the time of Exile and Return
Delaiah was the father of Shemaiah, who tried to deceive Nehemiah into hiding in the temple. (Neh.6.10)
- A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.6.10;
- only referred to as Delaiah דְּלָיָה;
- a son of Mehetabel מְהֵיטַבְאֵל;
- father of Shemaiah שְׁמַעְיָה.
Delaiah is mentioned in Nehemiah 6:10 as the father of Shemaiah, a man who tried to deceive Nehemiah during the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah's enemies, Sanballat and Tobiah, had hired Shemaiah to trick Nehemiah into hiding in the temple, claiming that there was a plot to kill him.
Shemaiah invited Nehemiah to meet with him at the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. The fact that Shemaiah was confined to his home suggests that he may have been a prophet or a man of some religious significance.
However, Nehemiah perceived that Shemaiah's prophecy was not from God and that he had been hired by Nehemiah's enemies to intimidate him and cause him to sin by entering the temple, which was forbidden for someone in Nehemiah's position (Nehemiah 6:11-13).
The mention of Delaiah in this context serves to identify Shemaiah and to highlight the opposition and deception Nehemiah faced while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. It also demonstrates Nehemiah's discernment and faith in God, which enabled him to resist the schemes of his enemies and complete the work of rebuilding the city's defenses.
All entries for Delaiah: דְּלָיָה