Shiloni is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Shiloni was a descendant of Judah, named in the genealogies of the tribe. He is mentioned only once in the King James Bible, in Nehemiah 11:5, where he appears at the head of a long ancestral line: “And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.” In this verse Shiloni is the earliest ancestor listed in the line, and the record traces the descent forward from him through Zechariah, Joiarib, Adaiah, Hazaiah, Colhozeh, and Baruch, down to Maaseiah.
The setting is the post-exilic period, after the Babylonian captivity, when the people of Israel had returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Nehemiah 11 describes how the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem and how lots were cast to bring one out of every ten of the remaining people to live in the holy city, while the rest stayed in the other towns. The chapter then lists by name the heads of families and their descendants who took up residence in Jerusalem.
Maaseiah, the descendant of Shiloni named in this verse, was among those who lived in Jerusalem. Scripture says nothing further about Shiloni himself—no deed, no word, no personal event is recorded. He is known only as an ancestor whose name was preserved in the genealogy of Judah, a link in the chain of descent that reached down to a man dwelling in the restored city.
The Name
The name Shiloni is likely related to the Hebrew root *shalah*, which carries the sense of being quiet, at ease, or prosperous, and it may mean something like “peaceful” or “my tranquility.” It is closely associated with the town of Shiloh, and in some contexts the name Shilonite is used of those from that place. The precise meaning of this particular name as borne by this individual is not clearly recoverable, so it is best to acknowledge that while the name suggests peace or rest, its exact significance here cannot be stated with certainty.
A Closing Thought
Shiloni never speaks, never acts, and never appears again after this one verse. Yet his name was carefully preserved in the record of God’s people, a quiet link in a long chain of generations. Most of us will not be remembered for great deeds, but we are part of a line of faith that reaches beyond our own brief lives. Like Shiloni, we may be known mainly as those who came before—faithful in obscurity, trusting that God remembers what the world overlooks, and that no life hidden in Him is ever truly lost.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 11:5 — And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.