50-532: This article contains persons named in the Bible , specifically in the Hebrew Bible , of minor notability, about whom little or nothing is known, aside from some family connections. Here are the names which start with L-Z; for A-K see there . Laadah (Hebrew: לאדה) is one of the sons of Shelah , son of Judah (son of Jacob) in 1 Chronicles 4:21. See Libni See Libni Lael (Hebrew לָאֵל "belonging to God")
100-601: A biblical book, does not quote from it, and relies entirely on other traditions in his account of the deeds of Nehemiah . The apocalyptic fourth book of Ezra (also sometimes called the 'second book of Esdras' or the 'third book of Esdras') was written c. CE 100, probably in Judeo-Aramaic , but now survives in Latin, Slavonic and Ethiopic. In this book, Ezra has a seven part prophetic revelation, converses with an angel of God three times and has four visions. Ezra, thirty years into
150-666: A foolish man whose name means "fool". Names in the Bible can represent human hopes, divine revelations , or are used to illustrate prophecies . The titles given to characters, locations, and entities in the Bible can differ across various English translations. In a study conducted by the BibleAsk team in 2024, a comprehensive catalog of names found in the King James Version was compiled and organized into categories such as individuals, geographical locations, national groups, and miscellaneous designations. The team discovered that within
200-451: A list of men recorded as having married foreign women. Maadiah appears in a list of priests and Levites said to have accompanied Zerubbabel in Nehemiah 12:5. Maai (Hebrew: מָעַי) was a musician who was a relative of Zechariah , a descendant of Asaph . He is mentioned once, as part of the ceremony for the dedication of the rebuilt Jerusalem wall ( Nehemiah 12:36 ), where he was part of
250-447: A part of Nehemiah distinctly different from that of Ezra–Nehemiah – in particular it eliminates Nehemiah from the story and gives some of his deeds to Ezra, as well as telling events in a different order. Scholars are divided on whether it is based on Ezra–Nehemiah, or reflects an earlier literary stage before the combination of Ezra and Nehemiah accounts. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus deals with Ezra in his Antiquities of
300-509: A personal name and a geographical location). During the period 330 BC – 200 AD, the most common male names in Judea or post Kingdom of Israel were: During this period, the most common female names were: Ezra Ezra ( fl. 480–440 BCE) was an important Jewish scribe ( sofer ) and priest ( kohen ) in the early Second Temple period . In the Greek Septuagint , the name
350-541: A section from 2 Esdras . Where early Christian writers refer to the 'Book of Ezra' it is always the text of 1 Esdras that is being cited. In Islam, he is known as Uzair ( Arabic : عزير , romanized : ʿUzayr ). He was mentioned in the Qur'an . Although he was not mentioned as one of the Prophets of Islam , he is considered one of them by some Muslim scholars, based on Islamic traditions. His tomb at Al-ʻUzer on
400-407: Is a name which appears in 1 Samuel 25:44 and 2 Samuel 3:15, where it is the name of the father of Palti , or Paltiel, the man who was married to Saul 's daughter Michal before she was returned to David . Lapidoth was the husband of Deborah , the fourth judge of Israel, according to Judges 4:4. Letushim appears as a son of Dedan according to Genesis 25:3. Leummim ( Hebrew : לְאֻמִּים )
450-586: Is also venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church , which sets his feast day on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers . The canonical Book of Ezra and Book of Nehemiah are the oldest sources for the activity of Ezra, whereas many of the other books ascribed to Ezra (First Esdras, 3–6 Ezra) are later literary works dependent on the canonical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The book of Ezra–Nehemiah
500-411: Is listed in a genealogy of the tribe of Manasseh . He is mentioned only in 1 Chronicles 7:19. Lo-Ammi (Hebrew for "not my people") was the youngest son of Hosea and Gomer . He had an older brother named Jezreel and an older sister named Lo-Ruhamah. God commanded Hosea to name him "Lo-Ammi" to symbolize his anger with the people of Israel (see Hosea 1:1 – 9 ). Lo-Ruhamah (Hebrew for "not loved")
550-545: Is rendered as Ésdrās ( Ἔσδρας ), from which the Latin name Esdras comes. His name is probably a shortened Aramaic translation of the Hebrew name עזריהו ( Azaryahu ), meaning " Yah helps". In the Hebrew Bible , or the Christian Old Testament , Ezra is an important figure in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah , which he is said to have written and edited, respectively. According to tradition, Ezra
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#1733084484172600-509: Is said to have enforced observance of the Torah. When Ezra discovered that Jewish men had been marrying foreign pagan women, he tore his garments in despair and confessed the sins of Israel before God, then braved the opposition of some of his countrymen to purify the community by enforcing the dissolution of the sinful marriages. He was described as exhorting the Israelite people to be sure to follow
650-663: Is seen as a new Moses in this book. There is also another work, thought to be influenced by this one, known as the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra . Traditionally Judaism credits Ezra with establishing the Great Assembly of scholars and prophets, the forerunner of the Sanhedrin , as the authority on matters of religious law. The Great Assembly is credited with establishing numerous features of contemporary traditional Judaism in something like their present form, including Torah reading ,
700-563: The Amidah , and celebration of the feast of Purim . In Rabbinic traditions , Ezra is metaphorically referred to as the "flowers that appear on the earth" signifying the springtime in the national history of Judaism . A disciple of Baruch ben Neriah , he favored study of the Law over the reconstruction of the Temple and thus because of his studies, he did not join the first party returning to Jerusalem in
750-575: The Babylonian Talmud , Ezra the Scribe is said to have enacted ten standing laws and orders, which are as follows: In the Syrian village of Tedef , a synagogue said to be the place where Ezra stopped over has been venerated by Jews for centuries. Another tradition locates his tomb near Basra, Iraq. In Christian tradition, Ezra is considered to be the author of the book of Ezra and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Due to
800-687: The Hebrew Bible he was a descendant of Seraiah , the last High Priest to serve in Solomon's Temple , and a close relative of Joshua, the first High Priest of the Second Temple . He returned from Babylonian captivity and reintroduced the Torah in Jerusalem. According to 1 Esdras , a Greek translation of the Book of Ezra still in use in Eastern Orthodox Church , he was also a High Priest. Rabbinic tradition supports
850-530: The Hebrew Bible in a genealogy of the Tribe of Benjamin . Malchiel (Hebrew מַלְכִּיאֵל "my king is God") was a son of Beriah the son of Asher , according to Genesis 46:17 and Numbers 26:45 . He was one of the 70 persons to migrate to Egypt with Jacob. According to 1 Chronicles 7:31, he was the ancestor of the Malchielites, a group within the Tribe of Asher . Heb. "King of help" or "King of salvation", one of
900-608: The 'father of Judaism' in the Jewish tradition, has been a later literary invention. Those who argue against the historicity of Ezra argue that the presentation style of Ezra as a leader and lawgiver resembles that of Moses. There are also similarities between Ezra the priest-scribe (but not high priest ) and Nehemiah the secular governor on the one hand and Joshua and Zerubbabel on the other hand. The early 2nd-century BCE Jewish author Ben Sira praises Nehemiah, but makes no mention of Ezra. Richard Friedman argues in his book Who Wrote
950-479: The Babylonian Exile (4 Ezra 3:1 / 2 Esdras 1:1), recounts the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple . The central theological themes are "the question of theodicy, God's justness in the face of the triumph of the heathens over the pious, the course of world history in terms of the teaching of the four kingdoms, the function of the law, the eschatological judgment, the appearance on Earth of
1000-592: The Bible: Hebrew for "Worker of Yahweh", one of the priests resident at Jerusalem at the Captivity 1 Chronicles 9:12 Maaz was one of the sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel . His brothers were: Jamin and Eker. He is mentioned briefly in 1 Chronicles 2:27 . Hebrew for "Clad with a mantle", one of the Gadite heroes who joined David in the wilderness 1 Chronicles 12:13 Machbena or Machbenah , according to
1050-458: The Bible? that Ezra is the one who redacted the Torah, and in fact effectively produced the first Torah. It has been argued that even if one does not accept the documentary hypothesis , Ezra was instrumental in the start of the process of bringing the Torah together. One particular aspect of Ezra's story considered dubious historically is the account in Ezra 7 of his commission. According to it, Ezra
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#17330844841721100-533: The Jews . He uses the name Xerxes for Artaxerxes I reserving the name Artaxerxes for the later Artaxerxes II whom he identifies as the Ahasuerus of Esther, thus placing Ezra before the events of the book of Esther. Josephus' account of the deeds of Ezra derives entirely from 1 Esdras , which he cites as the 'Book of Ezra' in his numeration of the Hebrew bible. Contrariwise, Josephus does not appear to recognise Ezra-Nehemiah as
1150-470: The King James Version Bible, a total of 3,418 distinct names were identified. Among these, 1,940 names pertain to individuals, 1,072 names refer to places, 317 names denote collective entities or nations, and 66 names are allocated to miscellaneous items such as months, rivers, or pagan deities. There are instances of overlap, where the same name may be used across multiple categories (e.g., as both
1200-488: The King". The text does not specify whether the king in the passage refers to Artaxerxes I (465–424 BCE) or to Artaxerxes II (404–359 BCE). Most scholars hold that Ezra lived during the rule of Artaxerxes I, though some have difficulties with this assumption: Nehemiah and Ezra "seem to have no knowledge of each other; their missions seem to have no overlap". These difficulties have led many scholars to assume that Ezra arrived in
1250-465: The Torah Law so as not to intermarry with people of foreign blood, a set of commandments described in the Torah. Some years later, Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah, a Jewish noble in his service, as governor in Jerusalem with the task of rebuilding the city walls. Once this task was completed, Nehemiah had Ezra read the Torah to the assembled Israelites and the people and priests entered into a covenant to keep
1300-466: The banks of the Tigris near Basra , Iraq , is a pilgrimage site for the local Marsh Arabs . Many Islamic scholars and modern Western academics do not view Uzer as "Ezra"; for example, Professor Gordon Darnell Newby associates Uzer with Enoch and Metatron . Scholars are divided over the chronological sequence of the activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra came to Jerusalem "in the seventh year of Artaxerxes
1350-454: The four sons of Saul ( 1 Chronicles 8:33 ). He perished along with his father and brothers in the battle of Gilboa ( 1 Samuel 31:2 ). Malchiah (Hebrew: מלכיהו malkiyahu "God is my king") son of the king (Jeremiah 38:6), owner of the pit into which Jeremiah was thrown A Kohathite Levite, one of the sons of Heman the Levite ( 1 Chronicles 25:4 ), and chief of the nineteenth division of
1400-513: The group that processed southwards behind Ezra . His name is omitted in the Septuagint translation of the passage, as are the names of five other relatives of Zechariah mentioned in the same verse. The name is otherwise unattested. Blenkinsopp suggests that Maai is a diminutive nickname. Mandel proposes its Hebrew origin means "sympathetic". Several men called Maaseiah (Hebrew מַעֲשֵׂיָה or מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ maaseyah(u) "Work of YHWH") are mentioned in
1450-719: The heavenly Jerusalem, the Messianic Period , at the end of which the Messiah will die, the end of this world and the coming of the next, and the Last Judgment ." Ezra restores the law that was destroyed with the burning of the Temple in Jerusalem . He dictates 24 books for the public (i.e. the Hebrew Bible) and another 70 for the wise alone (70 unnamed revelatory works). At the end, he is taken up to heaven like Enoch and Elijah . Ezra
1500-470: The law and separate themselves from all other peoples. Several traditions have developed over his place of burial. One tradition says that he is buried in Ezra's Tomb near Basra , Iraq while another tradition alleges that he is buried in Tadef near Aleppo in northern Syria . According to Josephus , Ezra died and was buried "in a magnificent manner in Jerusalem." If the tradition that Ezra wrote under
1550-548: The only mention of him, in 1 Chronicles 2:49, was the son of Sheva the son of Caleb . Machi of the tribe of Gad was the father of Geuel , a scout sent to Canaan prior to the crossing of the Jordan River according to Numbers 13:15 . Machnadebai is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible only once, in Ezra 10:40, where the name appears in a list of people alleged to have married foreign women. Magpiash , according to Nehemiah 10:20,
List of minor Hebrew Bible figures, L–Z - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-502: The pen name Malachi is correct, then he was probably buried in the Tomb of the Prophets , the traditional resting place of Malachi , along with two other prophets from Ezra's lifetime, Haggai and Zechariah . However, according to archeological research, these tombs date from the 1 century BC. 1 Esdras , probably from the late 2nd/early 1st centuries BCE, preserves a Greek text of Ezra and
1650-536: The plunder!") was the second mentioned son of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 8.1–4). The name is a reference to the impending plunder of Samaria and Damascus by the king of Assyria. The name is the longest personal name in the Bible. Mahlah is the name of two biblical persons: The father of four sons 1 Kings 4:31 who were inferior in wisdom only to Solomon . For the deity sometimes called Malcam, Malcham, or Milcom, see Moloch . Malcam ( King James Version spelling Malcham ) son of Shaharaim appears only once in
1700-557: The positions that Ezra was an ordinary member of the priesthood, and that he actually served as a Kohen Gadol . Ezra was living in Babylon when in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I , the Achaemenid emperor ( c. 457 BCE ), the emperor sent him to Jerusalem to teach the laws of God to any who did not know them. The Book of Ezra describes how he led a group of Judean exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem where he
1750-570: The presumption that both counselors have Persian names. Mash was a son of Aram according to Genesis 10:23 . In Arabic traditions, Mash is considered the father of Nimrod (not Nimrod bin Kush bin Kanan), who begot Kinan, who in turn begot another Nimrod, and the lattermost's descendants mixed with those of Asshur (i.e. Assyrians). Tse Tsan-Tai identifies his descendants with the indigenous peoples of Siberia . Hebrew word meaning tribute or burden, one of
1800-510: The reign of Cyrus . According to another opinion, he did not join the first party so as not to compete, even involuntarily, with Joshua ben Jozadak for the office of High Priest of Israel . According to Jewish tradition, Ezra was the writer of the Books of Chronicles , and is the same prophet known also as Malachi. There is a slight controversy within rabbinic sources as to whether or not Ezra had served as High Priest of Israel . According to
1850-582: The resistance of leaders of nearby peoples against the works of Nememia must have been confused with events during the days of Zerubbabel. Mary Joan Winn Leith in The Oxford History of the Biblical World believes that Ezra was a historical figure whose life was enhanced in the scripture and given a theological buildup. Gosta W. Ahlstrom argues the inconsistencies of the biblical tradition are insufficient to say that Ezra, with his central position as
1900-420: The seventh year of the rule of Artaxerxes II, i.e. some 50 years after Nehemiah. This assumption would imply that the biblical account is not chronological. The last group of scholars regard "the seventh year" as a scribal error and hold that the two men were contemporaries. However, in Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah has Ezra read the Torah to the people. So, they clearly were contemporaries working together in Jerusalem at
1950-571: The son of Kish was chosen to be king. The family of the Matrites is nowhere else mentioned in the Hebrew Bible; the conjecture, therefore, is that Matri is probably a corruption of Bikri, i.e. a descendant of Becher ( Genesis 46:21 ). List of biblical names Names play a variety of roles in the Bible . They sometimes relate to the nominee's role in a biblical narrative , as in the case of Nabal ,
2000-574: The sons of Ishmael , the founder of an Arabian tribe ( Gen. 25:14 ); a nomadic tribe inhabiting the Arabian desert toward Babylonia. Matred , according to Genesis 36:39 and 1 Chronicles 1:50, was the mother-in-law of the Edomite king Hadad II. Matri , of the Tribe of Benjamin , was an ancestor of Saul according to 1 Samuel 10:21 . Matri's clan, or the family of the Matrites , was chosen, and, from them, Saul
2050-402: The strong similarity between the books of Malachi and Ezra, some Christian traditions adopt the Jewish view that Ezra was Malachi; Jerome was one prominent Christian who held this view. Early Christian writers occasionally cited Ezra as author of the apocalyptic books attributed to him. Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata referred to Ezra as an example of prophetic inspiration, quoting
List of minor Hebrew Bible figures, L–Z - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-534: The temple musicians 1 Chronicles 25:26 There are two biblical figures named Malluch Manahath is one of the sons of Shobal. His brothers names were: Ebal, Shepho, Onam, and Alvan ( Genesis 36:23 ). According to 1 Chronicles 2:45 , Maon was a member of the clan of Caleb, the son of Shammai and the father of Beth Zur. Marsena appears in Esther 1:14 as one of seven Persian and Medean princes. Marsena also advised King Ahasuerus. See also: Carshena . There exists
2150-509: The time the wall and the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt in contrast to the previously stated viewpoint. There is a much clearer problem with the timeline in the story in Ezra 4, that tells of a letter that was send to Artaxerces stopping the first attempt to rebuild the temple (which started during the reign of Cyrus and then restarting in the second year of Darius, in 521 BCE). Clearly no such letter could have been sent to Artaxerxes, as he only became king in 465 BCE, so apparently some events during
2200-494: Was a member of the house of Gershon according to Numbers 3:24 . He was the father of Eliasaph . Neither of these is named in the Gershonite list in 1 Chronicles 23:7–11 . Lahmi , according to 1 Chronicles 20:5, was the brother of Goliath, killed by David's warrior Elhanan. See also Elhanan, son of Jair . This entry is about the individual named Laish. For the city Dan, known also as Laish, see Dan (ancient city) . Laish
2250-628: Was also the author of the Books of Chronicles and the Book of Malachi . Ezra was instrumental in restoring the Jewish scriptures and religion to the people after the return from the Babylonian Captivity , and is a highly respected figure in Judaism . He is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church , which sets his feast day as July 13, the same as that of his contemporary, Nehemiah . He
2300-581: Was always written as one scroll. In late medieval Christian bibles, the single book was divided in two, as First and Second Ezra; and this division became Jewish practice in the first printed Hebrew bibles. Modern Hebrew Bibles call the two books Ezra and Nehemiah, as do other modern Bible translations. A few parts of the Book of Ezra (4:8 to 6:18 and 7:12–26) were written in Aramaic , and the majority in Hebrew , Ezra himself being skilled in both languages. According to
2350-583: Was given truly exalted status by the king: he was seemingly put in charge of the entire western half of the Persian Empire , a position apparently above even the level of the satraps (regional governors). Ezra was given vast hoards of treasure to take with him to Jerusalem as well as a letter where the king seemingly acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel. Yet, his actions in the story do not appear to be that of someone with near unlimited government power, and
2400-473: Was one of the men who signed a covenant between God and the people of Yehud Medinata . Mahali (also Mahli ) was a son of Merari of the house of Levi according to Exodus 6:19 , born in Egypt. Hebrew for "Grasping" Heb. "Visions", a Kohathite Levite, chief of the twenty-third course of musicians 1 Chronicles 25:4 , 1 Chronicles 25:30 Maher-shalal-hash-baz ("Hurry to spoil!" or "He has made haste to
2450-422: Was the daughter of Hosea and Gomer . She had an older brother named Jezreel and a younger brother named Lo-Ammi. Her name was chosen by God to symbolize his displeasure with the people of Israel (see Hosea 1:1 – 9 ). Maacah was the youngest son of Nahor and his concubine Reumah , he is only mentioned in one verse in the Bible which is Genesis 22:24 . Maadai , son of Bani is found in Ezra 10:34, in
2500-401: Was the third son of Dedan , son of Jokshan , son of Abraham by Keturah ( Genesis 25:3 ). Libni (Hebrew לִבְנִי) was a son of Gershon of the house of Levi according to Exodus 6:17 and Numbers 3:18. He was born in Egypt. His descendants are referred to as the 'Libnites'. The first born son of Gershon is named as Laadan (or Ladan) in 1 Chronicles 23:7–9 . Likhi son of Shemida
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