Jeshua

Jeshua [Heb. yeshua' "the Lord saves"]. A personal name and a place.

1. The head of the ninth division of priests descended from Aaron, established under David's leadership (1 Chr 24:11). This may be the Jeshua referenced in Ezra 2:36 and Nehemiah 7:39, where the returning exiles included 973 priests who were descendants of the "house of Jeshua."

2. One of several Levites and assistants to Kore during the revival in the time of Hezekiah who helped to distribute the people's offerings to the priests and their families in the priestly towns (2 Chr 31:15).

3. One of the leaders who returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem and Judah following the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 2:2; Neh 7:7).

4. A descendant of Pahath-moab. Some of his descendants were among the returnees from the Babylonian exile under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:6; Neh 7:11).

5. An ancestor of a priestly family, the sons of Jedaiah, that returned from the Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:36; Neh 7:39). He is likely the same as number 1.

6. The ancestor of the family of 74 Levites, the sons of Hodaviah, who were among the returning exiles (Ezra 2:40; Neh 7:43).

7. The high priest, son of Jozadak, who was among the very first who returned with Zerubbabel from the Babylonian captivity and built an altar to offer sacrifices (Ezra 2:2; 3:2). He had a leading position in the community with Zerubbabel and helped to organize the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3:8-9; 5:2). He was among those who confronted the enemies opposing the restoration of Jerusalem (Ezra 4:3). Some of his sons had married foreign wives and so had to divorce them (Ezra 10:18-19). Nehemiah 12:1, 7, 10, 26 likely refer to the same person.

In Haggai and Zechariah he is called "Joshua" (Hag 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4; Zech 3:1, 3, 6, 8, 9; 6:11). In a vision Zechariah saw him in filthy garments, symbolic of the people's sins. These garments were replaced with clean robes, representing divine cleansing and righteousness (Zech 3:1-10).

8. The father of Ezer, who was a ruler of Mizpah, a town in Judah, and one of those who helped Nehemiah repair a section of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh 3:19).

9. Joshua, son of Nun, and leader of Israel at the time of the exodus and conquest (Neh 8:17).

10. Several people with the name Jeshua in Ezra and Nehemiah seem to refer to the same person, but it is not clear what overlaps may be among them:

a. One of the Levites who with Ezra publicly read and interpreted the Law for the people (Neh 8:7).

b. The father of the Levite Jozabad, who helped weigh the temple treasures (Ezra 8:33).

c. One of the Levites who led in public worship and confession of sins (Neh 9:4-5).

d. The son of Azaniah who was among those who sealed the agreement with Nehemiah to worship only the Lord and obey His Law (Neh 10:9).

e. One of the Levites who led the songs of thanksgiving (Neh 12:8).

f. The son of Kadmiel, one of the "heads of the Levites" who participated in antiphonal worship (Neh 12:24).

11. A village in the south of Judah, where some returned exiles resided (Neh 11:26).