Person Old Testament
Delaiah
Delaiah was an ancestor of a priestly family that returned from the Babylonian exile but could not prove their genealogy. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Ezra 2:60.
Why it matters. Ancestor of a family that returned from exile
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Delaiah
Delaiah is mentioned in Ezr.2.60 and Neh.7.62 as an ancestor of a priestly family that returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile. This family, along with the families of Tobiah and Nekoda, sought to be included among the priests but could not prove their genealogy or priestly lineage.
The context of these passages is the listing of the exiles who returned to Jerusalem and Judah under the leadership of Zerubbabel. The list includes the numbers of people from various families, as well as priests, Levites, and temple servants.
The inability of Delaiah's descendants to prove their priestly lineage suggests that during the exile, some families may have lost their genealogical records or had their priestly status questioned. As a result, they were not allowed to serve as priests until a priest with the Urim and Thummim could determine their status (Ezr.2.63; Neh.7.65).
The mention of Delaiah's family in this context highlights the importance of maintaining accurate genealogical records, especially for those serving in priestly roles. It also underscores the challenges faced by some families in reestablishing their identity and roles after the exile.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.