Person Old Testament
Sotai
Sotai was the ancestor of a family of Solomon's servants who were among the exiles that returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Ezra 2:55.
Why it matters. Ancestor of a family of Solomon's servants who returned from exile.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Sotai
Sotai is mentioned in Ezr.2.55 and Neh.7.57 as the ancestor of a family of Solomon's servants who were among the exiles that returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. Solomon's servants were a group of people who were assigned to work for King Solomon and his descendants, possibly as craftsmen, laborers, or officials.
The descendants of Sotai are listed among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Jeshua, the high priest. This return took place around 538 BC, after the Persian king Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
The mention of Sotai and his descendants in the lists of returning exiles highlights the importance of maintaining family records and genealogies among the Israelites, even during the Babylonian captivity. It also shows that not only the prominent families but also the servants and workers were included in the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Jewish community.
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.
Connections
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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.