Jathniel is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jathniel was a Levite of the family of Gershon, one of the three main divisions of the tribe of Levi. He appears in the genealogies and organizational records of the Levites preserved in 1 Chronicles, specifically in the list of the sons of Meshelemiah. In that record he is named as the fourth son, following Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, and Zebadiah the third (1 Chronicles 26:2).
The setting of this passage is the ordering of the Levites for service in the house of the LORD during the reign of King David. The chronicler lists the divisions of the gatekeepers, men set apart for the work of guarding the thresholds of the sanctuary. Meshelemiah’s sons were reckoned among these gatekeepers, and Jathniel is numbered among them as the fourth. Beyond his name, his father, his brothers, and his place in this registry, Scripture tells us nothing else about him. He is not recorded as speaking, leading, or performing any single notable deed.
What Scripture says of Jathniel is therefore brief but honorable: he was a Levite, a son of Meshelemiah, and one counted among those appointed for the service of the LORD’s house. He appears only once in the King James Bible, in this single verse, yet he is remembered in the sacred record as part of a family entrusted with the care of the sanctuary.
The Name
The name Jathniel is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text itself. Scholars have proposed various understandings of its elements, but no single rendering is firmly established, and Scripture provides no explanation of the name. What can be said with confidence is that the ending “-el” in Hebrew names commonly refers to God, as in many names of this form. Beyond that, the precise sense of the name should be left unstated rather than guessed at, since the Bible does not define it and the evidence is uncertain.
A Closing Thought
Jathniel never speaks a word in Scripture, and no exploit of his is recorded. He is simply the fourth son, listed among the gatekeepers of the LORD’s house. Yet his name stands in the book that endures forever. Most of God’s faithful people are like him: unnamed in the world’s histories, unnoticed by crowds, but known and counted by God. Quiet, faithful service at the threshold of His house is not forgotten by the One who sees in secret. It is enough to be numbered among those who serve Him.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 26:2 — And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,