Boy Old Testament Rare
Shimshai
my son
שִׁמְשַׁי shim.shay
Shimshai (Hebrew: שִׁמְשַׁי, shim.shay) means “my son”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 4 verses across 1 book of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Shimshai
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 4 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- 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 4:8 |
| Last appears | Ezra 4:23 |
| Cross-references | 53 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Rehum co-occurrence Appears with Rehum in Ezra 4.
- Dinaites co-occurrence Appears with Dinaites in Ezra 4.
- Artaxerxes co-occurrence Appears with Artaxerxes in Ezra 4.
- Mithredath co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Mithredath.
- Bishlam co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Bishlam.
- Osnappar co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Osnappar.
- Tabeel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Tabeel.
- Esarhaddon co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Esarhaddon.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.4.8
§ Shimshai = "sunny"
the scribe for Rehum, the satrap of Judea for the Persian government
Shimshai was a scribe who, along with Rehum the commander, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes opposing the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The biblical story
Shimshai is mentioned in Ezr.4.8, 9, 17, and 23 as a scribe who, together with Rehum the commander, opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia. Shimshai and Rehum wrote a letter to the king, accusing the Jews of rebuilding the city and its walls, and claiming that this would lead to rebellion against the Persian Empire. In response to their letter, Artaxerxes ordered the work on the city to cease until further notice. Shimshai and Rehum, along with their associates, then went to Jerusalem and forcibly stopped the Jews from rebuilding the city. This opposition temporarily halted the reconstruction efforts until the reign of King Darius, who later allowed the Jews to resume their work on the temple and the city.
Key verses
Shimshai appears in 4 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
Ezra 4:8 -
Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
Ezra 4:9 -
Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
Ezra 4:17 -
Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
Ezra 4:23
Show all 4 references
Ezra (4)
- Ezra 4:8
- Ezra 4:9
- Ezra 4:17
- Ezra 4:23