Boy Old Testament Rare
Maai
belly; heaping up
מָעַי ma.ay
Maai (Hebrew: מָעַי, ma.ay) means “belly; heaping up”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at Nehemiah 12:36. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Azarel in Nehemiah 12.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Maai
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Return
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Nehemiah 12:36 |
| Cross-references | 10 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Hanani co-occurrence Appears with Hanani in Nehemiah 12.
- Milalai co-occurrence Appears with Milalai in Nehemiah 12.
- Shemaiah co-occurrence Appears with Shemaiah in Nehemiah 12.
- Nethanel co-occurrence Appears with Nethanel in Nehemiah 12.
- Judah co-occurrence Appears with Judah in Nehemiah 12.
- Gilalai co-occurrence Appears with Gilalai in Nehemiah 12.
- Azarel co-occurrence Appears with Azarel in Nehemiah 12.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.12.36;
son of: Jonathan (H3129K);
brother of: Zechariah (H2148Z), Shemaiah (H8098V), Azarel (H5832J), Milalai (H4450), Gilalai (H1562), Nethanel (H5417P), Judah (H3063K) and Hanani (H2607K)
§ Maai = "compassionate"
one of the sons of Asaph who took part in the musical service at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem
Maai, a Levite musician, participated in the dedication of Jerusalem's wall during the time of Nehemiah.
The biblical story
Maai was a Levite musician who took part in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah (Neh.12.36). After the completion of the wall's reconstruction, Nehemiah organized a grand dedication ceremony that involved two large choirs processing around the city on top of the wall (Neh.12.27-43). Maai is listed among the Levite musicians who played instruments and sang during this celebratory event. The participation of Levite musicians in the dedication ceremony highlights the importance of music and worship in the religious life of the Jewish community. No further information is provided about Maai's specific role or personal life in the biblical text. His inclusion in the list of musicians demonstrates the significance of the Levites' musical duties in the context of religious celebrations and the restoration of Jerusalem during the post-exilic period.
Key verses
Maai appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.
Nehemiah 12:36
Show all 1 reference
Nehemiah (1)
- Nehemiah 12:36