SHEMAIAH shĭ mā’ yə (שְׁמַעְיָ֑ה; LXX Σαμαίας, meaning God hears). A name carried by a considerable number of Biblical and apocryphal persons. It was predominantly given to those engaged in spiritual pursuits, as Levites, priests and prophets.

A. The Biblical references.

1. A son of Shecaniah, in the line of Zerubbabel. He was the keeper of the East Gate, and worked on the repair of the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah (1 Chron 3:22; cf. Neh 3:29).

2. A descendant of Simeon, a chieftain and head of a town (1 Chron 4:37; 9:14).

3. Member of a Reubenite family (1 Chron 5:4).

4. A Levite, belonging to the house of Merari, also referred to in Nehemiah 11:15, one of the overseers of the “outside work of the house of God,” i.e., maintenance duties (1 Chron 9:14).

5. Another Levite, of the family of Jeduthun and Elkanah. Probably his son, Obadiah or Abda (1 Chron 9:16). He is the same as Shammuah in Nehemiah 11:17.

6. A leading Levite in the days of David, and the chief of the sons of Elizaphan of the Kohathites. With two hundred of his brethren, he assisted in bringing the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem (1 Chron 15:18; cf. 2 Sam 6:12-15).

7. The son of Nethanel, of the Levites, and a scribe who recorded the results of King David’s choice by lot of those who would serve in the twenty-four courses of the newly organized Temple service (1 Chron 24:6).

8. The oldest son of Obed-edom, whose sons in turn were distinguished by great ability. He belonged to the division of the gatekeepers in the new Temple order (1 Chron 26:4, 6, 7).

9. A prophet who advised Rehoboam not to take military action against Jeroboam and the ten northern tribes that seceded (2 Chron 11:2-4). In obedience to the Lord’s command through the prophet the army was dissolved, and each man returned to his home (cf. 1 Kings 12:33). There is some confusion at this point in the LXX, which includes after 1 Kings 12:24 a brief resumé of the account of Ahijah the prophet and Jeroboam (reported in 1 Kings 11:29-40), but which assigns the prophet’s role to Shemaiah. Rehoboam is again the subject of a word from the Lord through Shemaiah, predicting his defeat at the hand of Shishak, Pharaoh of Egypt (2 Chron 12:5, 7). Along with Iddo the seer, he was also a chronicler of the life of Rehoboam (12:15).

10. A Levite, sent by Jehoshaphat in a company of sixteen men, which included eight other Levites, two priests and five princes, to assist in his reforms by teaching the law throughout the cities of Judah (2 Chron 17:8).

11. A Levite who assisted in the cleansing of the Temple during the reign of Hezekiah. He was a son of Jeduthun (2 Chron 29:14).

12. A man, prob. a Levite, who assisted in the distribution of the “free-will offerings to God” to the priests and Levites assembled at the E gate (2 Chron 31:15).

13. A chief of the Levites, along with Conaniah and Nethanel his brothers. A member of a wealthy group that made liberal gifts of sacrificial animals for Josiah’s revival Passover (2 Chron 35:9). He is also mentioned in 1 Esdras 1:9.

14. A son of Adonikam and a member of a group that accompanied Ezra in the return from the Babylonian exile (Ezra 8:13). Also mentioned in 1 Esdras 8:39.

15. A different Shemaiah, sent by Ezra as a member of a delegation to Iddo in the interest of recruiting additional Levites for the priestly service in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:16). Also referred to in 1 Esdras 8:44.

16. A priest, one of four sons of Harim, who had married a foreign wife, and was required by Ezra’s judgment to put her away (Ezra 10:21). See also 1 Esdras 9:21.

17. Another man in the line of Harim, evidently not the same as 16 above, but an ordinary Israelite, who had also married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:31).

18. A hired prophet, sent by Tobiah and Sanballat to intimidate Nehemiah, and so hinder progress on the rebuilding of the wall. The fear of assassination was calculated to cause him to flee into the Temple, a forbidden act, and so bring reproach upon him in the eyes of the people, and perhaps divine wrath as well. Nehemiah wisely refused this ploy (Neh 6:10).

19. The name of a group of priests, prob. one of the twenty-four courses, who participated with Nehemiah in the sealing of the covenant at the dedication of the wall (Neh 10:8). Also mentioned in connection with the coming of Zerubbabel to Jerusalem (12:6), and in connection with Joiakim (12:18).

20. A priest, who was a member of a company marching to the right upon the walls, at the time of Nehemiah’s dedicatory services (Neh 12:34).

21. Another Levite, descended from Asaph (Neh 12:35).

22. A trumpet player, and priest’s son, who was one that marched with the group going to the right in the dedication ceremonies (Neh 12:36).

23. A Levite musician with the group that marched to the left during the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:42).

24. The father of a prophet named Uriah, from Kirjath-jearim. He prophesied against Jerusalem in the time of King Jehoiakim, who sought his life. Uriah, however, escaped to Egypt, but he was brought back and executed by Jehoiakim (Jer 26:20).

25. A false prophet, called Shemaiah of Nehelam, who attempted to interfere with Jeremiah’s ministry. The latter pronounced judgment upon him, in the extinction of his family, who would not witness the return from captivity (Jer 29:24-32).

26. The father of Delaiah, a prince who was among the witnesses of Jehoiakim’s burning of the scroll containing the words of Jeremiah (Jer 36:12).

B. The apocryphal references.

1. Those previously mentioned, under 13, 14, 15 and 16 respectively.

2. One of the “sons of Ezora,” who had married a foreign wife, in Ezra’s time (1 Esd 9:34).

3. An acquaintance of Tobit, who calls him “the great Shemaiah” (Tobit 5:13).