Magpiash is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Magpiash was one of the leaders of Israel who signed the covenant to follow God’s law during the time of Nehemiah. He is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in Nehemiah 10:20, where he appears in a list of names: “Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir.” These men were among those who put their seal to a written agreement, binding themselves and the people to obey the Lord and to keep His commandments.
The setting is the period after the Jews had returned from Babylonian exile and rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. Under Nehemiah’s leadership, the people gathered to confess their sins, hear the Law read aloud, and commit themselves anew to God. The covenant they signed was not merely a formality; it was a public pledge to walk in God’s ways, to keep the Sabbath, to support the temple, and to separate themselves from the surrounding nations. Magpiash, though named only in passing, was counted among the leaders who stood before God and their people as a witness to that solemn commitment.
Scripture records nothing else about Magpiash—no genealogy, no deeds, no words. He appears only as a name on a sealed document. Yet that single appearance places him among those who, in a critical hour of Israel’s restoration, chose to align themselves with God’s covenant rather than with the surrounding culture. His inclusion in the list shows that he was recognized as a leader whose endorsement carried weight.
The Name
The name Magpiash is of Hebrew origin, but its exact meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text or from standard lexical sources. Various suggestions have been offered by scholars—some connecting it to a root meaning “moth” or “decay,” others to a word for “gathering” or “assembly”—but none is firmly established. Because the meaning is uncertain, it is best to say plainly that the significance of this name is not known with confidence. What matters more than the etymology is that the name belonged to a real man who made a real pledge before God.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never have our names inscribed on a monument or remembered in history books. Magpiash is known to us only because he signed a covenant—one line in a long list of names. Yet that quiet act of commitment mattered. He joined with others in saying, “We will obey.” God does not measure faithfulness by fame or by the length of our record, but by the sincerity of our pledge to follow Him. Like Magpiash, we may be unknown to the world, but we are known to the One who sees every heart that turns toward Him.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 10:20 — Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,