Zatthu is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Zatthu was one of the leaders of the Jewish people who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned in the Book of Ezra, which records the restoration of the community of Israel to their homeland and the rebuilding of their life of worship around the temple. The return from Babylon was a time of reorganization and covenant renewal, and Zatthu appears among those who were counted as chiefs of the people during that period.
His single appearance in Scripture is in Nehemiah 10:14, where he is listed among “the chief of the people” who sealed a written covenant. The context of Nehemiah 10 is a solemn assembly in which the people of Israel bound themselves by oath to obey the Law of God—to keep His commandments, to avoid intermarriage with the surrounding peoples, and to support the temple and its service. The names in this list are the leaders who set their seal to that agreement, representing the people before God.
Zatthu is named alongside other leaders such as Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, and Bani. Scripture records nothing else about him—no words, no deeds, no family line beyond this single mention. What is said of him is simply that he was a chief of the people and that he joined the covenant. His place in the biblical record is that of a leader who stood with his people at a moment of national rededication.
The Name
The name Zatthu is a Hebrew name whose meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text or from the standard lexical sources. It appears only once in Scripture, and no definitive etymology is well established. Some names in the post-exilic lists are difficult to interpret because they may reflect Aramaic or Babylonian influences, or because the original form has been obscured in transmission. Rather than assign a speculative meaning, it is best to say plainly that the meaning of this name is uncertain.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered in a list of leaders. Yet Zatthu’s one verse tells us something quietly important: he was present, he was counted, and he put his name to a promise to follow God. Faithfulness is often unspectacular. It looks like showing up when the community renews its commitment, standing with others, and binding yourself to obey the Lord even when no one will write your story down. God keeps the records that matter, and a single line in His book is enough.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 10:14 — The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,