Ismaiah is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Ismaiah was a warrior of the tribe of Benjamin who came to David at Ziklag during the period when David was fleeing from King Saul. At that time David was an outlaw and a fugitive, not yet king over Israel, and men gathered to him from various tribes who were willing to cast their lot with him. The account in 1 Chronicles 12 lists these men by name, tribe, and sometimes by the place they came from, and Ismaiah is numbered among those who joined David at Ziklag.
The text identifies him specifically as “Ismaiah the Gibeonite.” This is a notable detail, since the Gibeonites were not originally Israelites but a people who had been incorporated into Israel generations earlier. Yet here Ismaiah is counted among the mighty warriors of Benjamin who aligned themselves with David. He is described as “a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty,” a phrase indicating that he held a place of prominence and leadership among David’s elite fighting men. The “thirty” appears to have been a recognized company of distinguished warriors, and Ismaiah was both counted among them and set over them.
Scripture records no further actions or words of Ismaiah beyond this single verse. He appears only once in the King James Bible, listed among the warriors who strengthened David’s hand at Ziklag. What is said of him is brief but honorable: he was a mighty man, a leader among mighty men, and one who chose to stand with David in a difficult season.
The Name
The name Ismaiah (also rendered Jishmaiah in some translations) is a Hebrew name built from two elements: *shama*, meaning “to hear,” and the divine name *Yah*, referring to the LORD. Thus the name is commonly understood to mean something like “the LORD hears” or “the LORD has heard.” This meaning is well established from the Hebrew components of the name. It is a confession-like name, similar in form to others in the Old Testament that declare God’s attentiveness to His people.
A Closing Thought
Ismaiah’s story is a single verse, yet it carries a quiet encouragement. He was a Gibeonite, an outsider by origin, and he stood with David when David had no throne and no certainty. His name means “the LORD hears,” and whether or not he chose it, his life bore witness to a God who notices those who remain faithful in hidden seasons. Most of us will never be listed among the famous, but we can be among the faithful—present, loyal, and counted by God even when no one else records our names.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 12:4 — And Ismaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Josabad the Gederathite,