Boy Old Testament Known
Rehum
merciful; compassionate
רְחוּם
Rehum (Hebrew: רְחוּם) means “merciful; compassionate”, by traditional interpretation. Five men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a foreigner. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
Which Rehum?
Five men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Rehum
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Rehum
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Rehum
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Rehum
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Rehum
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 11 across 2 books
- Bearers
- 5 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Return
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 | Ezra 2:2 |
| Last appears | Nehemiah 12:15 |
| Cross-references | 117 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Shimshai co-occurrence Appears with Shimshai in Ezra 4.
- Bigvai co-occurrence Appears with Bigvai in Ezra 2.
- Bilshan co-occurrence Appears with Bilshan in Ezra 2.
- Mispar co-occurrence Appears with Mispar in Ezra 2.
- Mordecai co-occurrence Appears with Mordecai in Ezra 2.
- Reelaiah co-occurrence Appears with Reelaiah in Ezra 2.
- Nehemiah co-occurrence Appears with Nehemiah in Ezra 2.
- Dinaites co-occurrence Appears with Dinaites in Ezra 4.
Origin & meaning
Rehum (or Harim or Nehum) was one of the leaders who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel after the Babylonian exile.
The biblical story
Rehum, also known as Harim or Nehum, is mentioned in the lists of leaders who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel after the Babylonian exile (Ezr.2.2; Neh.7.7; 12.3). Following the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, which allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple (Ezr.1.1-4), a group of exiles led by Zerubbabel made the journey back to Jerusalem. Rehum (Harim or Nehum) is listed among the leaders of this group, along with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and others. The returning exiles faced the challenge of rebuilding the temple and reestablishing Jewish worship in Jerusalem. In the book of Nehemiah, Rehum (Harim) is also mentioned as one of the priests who sealed the covenant to follow God's law (Neh.10.5). The mention of Rehum (Harim or Nehum) in these passages highlights the significant role played by various leaders and priests in the restoration of Jewish life and faith after the exile.
Key verses
Rehum appears in 5 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
Ezra 2:2 -
Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
Nehemiah 7:7 -
Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
Nehemiah 10:5 -
Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
Nehemiah 12:3 -
Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
Nehemiah 12:15
Show all 5 references
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 2:2
Nehemiah (4)
- Nehemiah 7:7
- Nehemiah 10:5
- Nehemiah 12:3
- Nehemiah 12:15