Pahath-moab פַּ֫חַת מוֹאָב
Group of returnees from Babylonian exile
Who is Pahath-moab in the Bible?
Pahath-moab was a significant family group or clan of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, appearing in the lists of returnees in Ezra 2:6 and Nehemiah 7:11. The name possibly indicates a connection to Moab or descendants of Moabites, though their exact origin remains uncertain. Some members of this group had married foreign women during the exile, which violated Jewish law, and they were required to separate from these wives as part of Ezra's reform to maintain the religious and ethnic purity of the restored community (Ezra 10:30). Their presence among both the initial return under Zerubbabel and the later return with Ezra, along with their participation in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls and sealing the covenant (Nehemiah 3:11, 10:14), demonstrates their prominence and commitment to the restoration of Judah after exile.
Biography
Pahath-moab is the name of a group of people who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile (Ezr.2.6; Neh.7.11). They are mentioned in the lists of the returnees, which suggests that they were a significant group among the exiles who chose to return to their homeland. The name "Pahath-moab" may indicate that they were descendants of Moabites who had been taken captive by the Babylonians or that they had some connection to the land of Moab. Some members of the Pahath-moab group were among those who had married foreign women during the exile, which was a violation of God's law (Ezr.10.30). This led to a crisis in the community, and the people were required to separate from their foreign wives to maintain the purity of the Israelite nation. The presence of the Pahath-moab group in the lists of returnees and in the account of the marriage crisis highlights the challenges faced by the Jewish community as they sought to rebuild their lives and maintain their identity after the exile.
Family
In Scripture
2 biblical books ; 2 with study contentEzra 3 verses
- Ezra 2:6
"the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 8:4
"from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;"
Study Ezra → - Ezra 10:30
"From the descendants of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh."
Study Ezra →
Nehemiah 1 verse
- Nehemiah 7:11
"the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;"
Study Nehemiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | פַּ֫חַת מוֹאָב |
Pahath-moab
"Bible:Ezra.2.6">Ezr 2:6; compare Ne 7:11) under two family names, Jeshua and Joab; and a part came back with Ezra (Ezr 8:4). Hashub, a "son of Pahath-moab," is named among the repairers of both the wall and the "tower of the furnaces" at Jerusalem (Ne 3:11). It is the name of one of the signatories "sealing" the "sure covenant" of Ne 9:38 (Ne 10:14). Some of the sons of this name had taken "strange wives" (Ezr 10:30)
Henry Wallace
pa'-i (pa`i; Phogor): The royal city of Hadad or Hadar, king of Edom (1Ch 1:50). The name is given as "Pau" (pa`u) in Ge 36:39. There is no indicat