Jeshua (Levite)
A person in the Bible. Also called Jeshua the Levite, Yeshua (Levite), Jeshua son of Kadmiel, Jeshua son of Azaniah.
| Classification | Biblical figure |
|---|---|
| Era | Period of return from the Babylonian exile (roughly 6th–5th century BC) |
| Related Figures | Kadmiel, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah |
| Biblical References | Ezra, Nehemiah |
Jeshua was a leader of the Levites who returned from the Babylonian exile. He oversaw the rebuilding of the temple, and in the time of Nehemiah he helped explain the Law to the people and led a prayer of repentance.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Biblical Record
Jeshua is a prominent name among the Levites who returned from the Babylonian exile. He appears in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The name is a later form of Joshua and means "the LORD is salvation." He is distinct from his contemporary, the high priest "Jeshua the son of Jozadak" (Ezra 3:2).
- List of returnees: Ezra 2:40 records the Levites who returned with Zerubbabel as "the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four" (paralleled in Nehemiah 7:43). Nehemiah 12:8, which also lists the Levites who returned at that time, places Jeshua's name first.
- Rebuilding of the temple: According to Ezra 3:9, Jeshua, together with his sons and brethren, Kadmiel, and others, oversaw the workmen on the temple.
- Interpreting the Law: In Nehemiah 8:7-8, when Ezra read the book of the Law, Jeshua and other Levites explained its meaning and "caused them to understand the reading."
- Prayer of repentance: On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, when the people assembled with fasting and confessed their sins (Nehemiah 9:1-3), Jeshua and the Levites "stood upon the stairs" and cried out to God. They then led the people in praise, saying, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever" (Nehemiah 9:4-5).
- Other references: Nehemiah 10:9 names "Jeshua the son of Azaniah" among the Levites who sealed the covenant. Nehemiah 12:24 names "Jeshua the son of Kadmiel" as a Levitical leader responsible for praise and thanksgiving. Ezra 8:33 mentions "Jozabad the son of Jeshua," a Levite.
Significance in Scripture
Jeshua illustrates the role the Levites played in the community that returned from exile. The Levites not only served in the temple but also explained and taught the Word and led the community in repentance and praise. The New Testament does not mention this figure. The name "Jesus" is the same name as the Hebrew Yeshua (Jeshua), but the biblical text draws no connection between the two figures.
Interpretation and Debate
- An individual or a family?: Several decades or more separate Zerubbabel's return (Ezra 2) from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8–10), though scholars differ on the exact dates. For this reason, many interpreters regard "Jeshua" not as a single individual but as a Levitical family that carried the name, or as that family's representative, or else as several different people who shared the name. His father's name also varies, appearing as Azaniah (Nehemiah 10:9) and as Kadmiel (Nehemiah 12:24). Regarding Nehemiah 12:24, some hold that names originally listed side by side were altered to "the son of Kadmiel" in the course of transmission.
- The speaker of the prayer in Nehemiah 9: In the Hebrew text, the words of the Levites in 9:5 are followed by a long prayer (9:6-37). The Greek translation known as the Septuagint adds "And Ezra said" before verse 6, attributing the prayer to Ezra, and some translations follow this reading. The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) does not include these words.
- Life: Scripture does not record details of Jeshua's personal life, such as his birth or death.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this figure is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean churches, Jeshua himself is rarely the subject of sermons or Sunday school lessons. He is more often introduced in connection with the assembly in the square before the Water Gate in Nehemiah 8. The scene in this passage, in which the Levites read the Law and explained its meaning so that the people understood, is often cited as a model for Scripture reading, preaching, and Bible study, and Jeshua is mentioned as the figure whose name heads the list of those Levites. Nehemiah 9 serves as a sermon text on repentance and communal prayer.
See also 8
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