Boy Old Testament Rare
Jahath
broken in pieces; descending
יַ֫חַת ya.chat
Jahath (Hebrew: יַ֫חַת, ya.chat) means “broken in pieces; descending”, by traditional interpretation. Six men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a Levite. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Ahumai in 1 Chronicles 4.
Which Jahath?
Six men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Jahath
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Jahath
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Jahath
descendant of Izhar; son of Shelomoth
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Jahath
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Jahath
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Jahath
descendant of Judah; son of Reaiah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 7 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 6 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
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 | 1 Chronicles 4:2 |
| Last appears | 2 Chronicles 34:12 |
| Cross-references | 41 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Zizah co-occurrence Appears with Zizah in 1 Chronicles 23.
- Beriah co-occurrence Appears with Beriah in 1 Chronicles 23.
- Jeush co-occurrence Appears with Jeush in 1 Chronicles 23.
- Obadiah co-occurrence Appears with Obadiah in 2 Chronicles 34.
- Zechariah co-occurrence Appears with Zechariah in 2 Chronicles 34.
- Meshullam co-occurrence Appears with Meshullam in 2 Chronicles 34.
- Lahad co-occurrence Appears with Lahad in 1 Chronicles 4.
- Reaiah co-occurrence Appears with Reaiah in 1 Chronicles 4.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.20;
son of: Shimei (H8096G);
brother of: Jahath (H3189H), Zizah (H2126); Jeush@ (H3266J), Beriah (H1283J)
father of: Zimmah (H2155G);
Also named: shim.i (שִׁמְעִי "Shimei" H8096V)
§ Jahath = "He will snatch up"
1) son of Reaiah and grandson of Shobal of the tribe of Judah
2) a son of Libni and grandson of Gershom and great grandson of Levi
3) a Gershonite Levite; the eldest son of Shimei and the grandson of Laadan; founder of the house of Jahath
4) a Levite and son of Shelomoth
5) a Merarite Levite in the reign of Josiah
Jahath was a Levite, a descendant of Shimei, and a grandson of Gershon.
The biblical story
Jahath is mentioned in 1Ch.23.10-11 as a Levite, a descendant of Shimei, and a grandson of Gershon. This passage is part of a larger section that describes the organization of the Levites during the reign of King David.
The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, set apart for religious duties and the service of the tabernacle and later the temple. Gershon was one of the three main divisions of the Levites, along with Kohath and Merari (1Ch.23.6).
In this context, Jahath is listed as one of the sons of Shimei, who was a son of Laadan, a descendant of Gershon (1Ch.23.7-9). The text notes that Shimei had four sons, including Jahath, but that they were considered as one family because they had fewer sons compared to other Levite families (1Ch.23.11).
No other specific details are provided about Jahath's life, role, or responsibilities as a Levite. His inclusion in this genealogical record, however, highlights the importance of the Levitical lineage and the organization of the Levites for their service in the temple during the time of David.
Key verses
Jahath appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
1 Chronicles 23:10 -
And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house.
1 Chronicles 23:11
Show all 2 references
1 Chronicles (2)
- 1 Chronicles 23:10
- 1 Chronicles 23:11