Jeaterai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Jeaterai was a Levite, a member of the tribe set apart in Israel for service related to worship and the tabernacle. He is identified in the source note as a descendant of Gershon, one of the three sons of Levi, whose descendants formed one of the major Levitical families. He appears only once in the King James Bible, in the genealogies recorded in 1 Chronicles.
The setting of his appearance is a lengthy genealogical record. In 1 Chronicles 6, the Chronicler traces the lineage of Levi’s sons, including Gershon, and lists the heads of families generation by generation. Jeaterai is named at the end of a chain of fathers and sons: “Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son” (1 Chronicles 6:21). The form of the record is typical of Hebrew genealogy, each name linked to the next by the phrase “his son.”
Scripture says nothing further about Jeaterai himself. No deed, word, or event is attributed to him. He is remembered simply as a link in a family line, a Gershonite Levite whose place in the record was preserved among the returned exiles who wanted to know their heritage. His inclusion in the chronicle is the whole of what the Bible tells us of him.
The Name
The name Jeaterai is a Hebrew name whose meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text itself. Some have suggested a connection to a root carrying the sense of “abundance” or “remainder,” but this is not well established, and the precise meaning is uncertain. It is better to say plainly that the meaning of this name is not confidently known than to assign it a definition the evidence does not support.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered in a record that outlasts us. Jeaterai’s entire legacy in Scripture is a single line in a family tree. Yet that line mattered: it tied him to the tribe set apart for God’s service, and it kept the chain of generations intact for those who came after. A quiet, faithful life is not wasted simply because no one writes much about it. God keeps His own record, and being a faithful link in the line He is building is no small thing.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 6:21 — Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son.