Jeremai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jeremai was one of the men of Israel who returned to Jerusalem and Judah after the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned only once in Scripture, in the list of those who had taken foreign wives during the period of restoration under Ezra. The setting is post-exilic Jerusalem, where Ezra the priest and scribe had come from Babylon to teach the Law of Moses and to reform the spiritual life of the returned community.
Jeremai is identified specifically as a descendant of Hashum. In Ezra 10, a great assembly gathered in Jerusalem during the rainy season, and the people confessed that they had intermarried with the peoples of the surrounding lands, contrary to the covenant. A plan was made for those guilty to put away their foreign wives and to offer a guilt offering for their trespass. Jeremai is named among the sons of Hashum who were found in this transgression and who agreed to this course of action.
The text records no further details about Jeremai’s life, family, or later service. He appears only as a name in a list of men who were called to repentance and obedience. His inclusion in Scripture is a quiet but real testimony that he was among those who submitted to the word of God through Ezra and took part in the restoration of the community’s covenant faithfulness.
The Name
The name Jeremai is a Hebrew name, likely related to the root *rum*, meaning “to be high” or “to be exalted,” though the precise form and meaning are not clearly established. Some suggest a connection to a word for “whom Jehovah has appointed” or “Jehovah is high,” but these are tentative. Because the name is rare and appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, its exact meaning cannot be recovered with certainty. It is best to acknowledge that the meaning is uncertain rather than to assign a definite interpretation.
A Closing Thought
Jeremai’s story is brief and unglamorous: a man named in a list of those who had sinned and then repented. Yet that is no small thing. He did not argue, hide, or refuse the call to make things right. He stood among the sons of Hashum and did what was required. Most of us will not be remembered for great public deeds, but we can be faithful in the quiet work of repentance and obedience. God keeps the names of those who turn to Him, even when no one else notices.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Ezra 10:33 — Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.