Person Old Testament
Shabbethai
Shabbethai, a Levite, assisted in explaining the Law to the people during the public reading led by Ezra. Mentioned once in Scripture, at Nehemiah 8:7.
Why it matters. Levite who helped explain the Law to the people
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Shabbethai
Shabbethai, mentioned in Neh.8.7, was a Levite who played a role in the public reading and explanation of the Law during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. After the completion of the wall of Jerusalem, the people gathered in the square before the Water Gate, and Ezra the scribe read aloud from the Book of the Law of Moses. Shabbethai, along with several other Levites, helped to explain the Law to the people, making its meaning clear and providing instruction. This event marked a significant moment of spiritual renewal and recommitment to God's commandments among the returned exiles. Shabbethai's involvement highlights the important role of the Levites in teaching and interpreting the Law for the people.
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 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Nehemiah (1 verse)