Noadiah

Biblical Record

Noadiah appears only once, in Nehemiah 6:14. The chapter records how opponents such as Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem tried to halt the work while Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They repeatedly tried to lure Nehemiah to a meeting (Nehemiah 6:1-9), and they hired Shemaiah the son of Delaiah to urge him to hide inside the temple to save his life (Nehemiah 6:10-13). After these events Nehemiah prays, "My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear." The very next verse records that the wall was finished in fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15).

The text states only that Noadiah was a prophetess and that she, together with other prophets, tried to intimidate Nehemiah. It does not record what she said or did, whether the opponents bribed her, or anything about her background or life.

The name Noadiah also appears in Ezra 8:33. That Noadiah, however, was a Levite, the son of Binnui, who was present when the temple vessels were handed over. He is regarded as a different person from the prophetess of Nehemiah 6.

Significance Within Scripture

Only a few prophetesses are named in the Old Testament, among them Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah. Noadiah is commonly cited as the one among them who is portrayed negatively. She is read as an example of how the office of prophet can be used to hinder rather than further the work of God. She is sometimes discussed alongside Ezekiel 13:17ff., which rebukes women who prophesy falsely. The New Testament does not mention Noadiah.

Interpretation and Debate

• Gender: The Hebrew text identifies Noadiah as a prophetess. The Greek translation known as the Septuagint, however, reportedly renders Noadiah as a male prophet.
• Extent of her role: Because the text is so brief, interpreters differ over whether Noadiah, like Shemaiah, was bribed directly or simply sided with the opposition. Claims that she uttered a particular false prophecy are speculation not found in the text.
• Nehemiah's prayer: Interpreters differ over Nehemiah's prayer asking God to "think upon" the deeds of his enemies. Some see it as a prayer that leaves vengeance to God, while others discuss it in comparison with the New Testament teaching on love for enemies, which instructs believers to pray for those who oppose them.

In the Korean Church

Sermons and Sunday school materials devoted specifically to Noadiah are rare. She is usually mentioned briefly, alongside Shemaiah, in sermons on Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall that address both external threats and false prophecy from within.