Amashai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Amashai was a priest who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He is named only once in the King James Bible, in Nehemiah 11:13, within a roster of the priests, Levites, and other inhabitants who were settled in the holy city. The setting is the post-exilic restoration of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, when the city was repopulated and its worship reestablished after the people returned from captivity.
The verse lists Amashai alongside his brethren, described as “chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two.” This identifies him as belonging to a leading priestly family, one of the heads of ancestral households whose members numbered two hundred forty-two. His lineage is traced as “the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer.” The mention of Immer places him within a well-known priestly line, for Immer was one of the priestly divisions established in the days of David and recorded among those who returned from exile.
Scripture records nothing else of Amashai’s life, words, or deeds. He appears only in this single genealogical and census-like notice. What is said of him is simply his ancestry and his standing among the chief fathers of the priests dwelling in Jerusalem. His inclusion in the list testifies that he was counted among those who resettled the city and served in its restored worship, taking his place in the ongoing priestly ministry of the returned community.
The Name
The name Amashai is a Hebrew name whose exact meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text itself. It appears to be related to other Hebrew names built on similar roots, and some have suggested a connection to a root carrying the sense of “burden” or “bearing,” but this is not firmly established. Because the meaning is uncertain, it is best to say plainly that the name’s significance is not clearly known rather than to assign it a meaning the text does not support.
A Closing Thought
Amashai never speaks a word in Scripture. He is remembered only as a name in a list, a priest among hundreds who came home to rebuild a ruined city and restore its worship. Yet his presence in that roll matters. The work of God is carried forward not only by famous leaders like Nehemiah and Ezra, but by countless faithful people whose names we read once and pass over. Amashai stood among the chief fathers, doing his part in the quiet, unrecorded labor of restoration. His life reminds us that being faithful where God places us is enough, even when no one but God remembers our name.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 11:13 — And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty and two: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,