Nethinim

Biblical Occurrences

The Nethinim appear almost exclusively in Ezra and Nehemiah. In 1 Chronicles 9:2 they are also listed, together with the Israelites, the priests, and the Levites, among the first to dwell again in their own cities after returning from exile.

• List of returnees: Ezra 2:43-54 and Nehemiah 7:46-56 list the family names of the Nethinim who returned with Zerubbabel. The "children of Rezin" are also included in this list (Ezra 2:48). The Nethinim and the "children of Solomon's servants" together numbered 392 (Ezra 2:58; Nehemiah 7:60).
• Ezra's company: Ezra 7:7 names the Nethinim among those who went up with Ezra. Ezra 8:20 records that 220 of them joined the company and describes them as those "whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites."
• Tax exemption: The decree of the Persian king Artaxerxes commands that no toll, tribute, or custom be imposed on the Nethinim, along with the priests, Levites, singers, and porters (Ezra 7:24).
• Life in Jerusalem: The Nethinim lived in Ophel, near the temple, and repaired part of the city wall (Nehemiah 3:26). Nehemiah 11:21 records that Ziha and Gispa were over them. They were also among those who entered into the covenant to keep the law (Nehemiah 10:28).

Background and Meaning of the Term

"Nethinim" derives from the Hebrew verb natan, "to give," and is understood to mean "those who are given" or "those who are dedicated." The New Korean Revised Version transliterates the term, while many English translations render it according to its meaning as "temple servants." The same root is used in Numbers 3:9 and 8:19, where the Levites are said to be "given" to Aaron.

The text does not describe in detail the duties these people performed in the temple. On the basis of the wording of Ezra 8:20, they are understood to have assisted the Levites. Because the list includes names that appear to be of foreign origin, such as Mehunim and Nephusim, many scholars believe that people of non-Israelite descent were among them.

Broader Biblical Significance

The Nethinim show that the postexilic community of the temple in Jerusalem was made up not only of priests and Levites but also of various other classes of servants. Regardless of their origin, they too were named in the list of returnees and among the signers of the covenant. The term does not occur in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Origin: A long-standing view connects them with the occasion when Joshua made the Gibeonites "hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD" (Joshua 9:27). Rabbinic literature is also reported to have regarded the Nethinim as descendants of the Gibeonites. Other views trace their origin to the Midianite captives entrusted to the Levites in Numbers 31 or to prisoners of war from the time of David. The biblical text, however, does not directly state any relationship between the Nethinim and the Gibeonites.
• Status: Some interpreters regard them as temple laborers of low social standing. Others, citing their tax exemption and their participation in the covenant, see them as temple servants who were recognized within the community.
• Application: In preaching, the Nethinim are sometimes cited as an example of unseen service. This, however, is an application of the text rather than something the text directly teaches.