Isshiah

Biblical Record

Isshiah appears only once, in 1 Chronicles 24:21, where he is named as the head of Rehabiah's sons, that is, the chief who represented the household. The King James Version reads: "Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah."

The verse belongs to the list in 1 Chronicles 24:20–31, which records the remaining Levite households apart from the descendants of Aaron who served as priests. According to 1 Chronicles 23, when David was old, he made Solomon king and then organized the duties of the Levites. First Chronicles 24:31 states that these households "likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites."

According to 1 Chronicles 23:15–17, the sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. Eliezer had no son other than Rehabiah, "but the sons of Rehabiah were very many" (1 Chronicles 23:17). Isshiah's name is preserved as the head among those sons. The text records nothing about his life or deeds.

Significance in the Bible

First Chronicles 23:14 states that the sons of Moses were named among the tribe of Levi. The descendants of Moses were distinguished from the descendants of Aaron, who held the priestly office, and were organized as ordinary Levite households. Among them, Isshiah is the name that represents the line of Eliezer. He is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

First Chronicles 26:25 names a Jeshaiah as the son of Rehabiah, the son of Eliezer. The text does not say whether this man is the same person as Isshiah.

Several other biblical figures bear a similar name, spelled variously in English versions:

• A descendant of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 7:3
• A Korahite in 1 Chronicles 12:6
• A son of Uzziel in 1 Chronicles 23:20 and 24:25
• Members of the community that returned from exile in Ezra 10:25 and 10:31

All of these are different people from the Isshiah discussed in this article.

In the Korean Church

Because Isshiah appears only in genealogies and lists of duties, there are no widely known instances of his being treated as a subject in his own right in preaching or Sunday school in Korean churches. He appears to be mentioned only in passing when the lists of Levites in 1 Chronicles are expounded.