2410. Chatita
Lexical Summary
Chatita: Sin, offense, wrongdoing

Original Word: חֲטִיטָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Chatiyta'
Pronunciation: khat-ee-tah'
Phonetic Spelling: (khat-ee-taw')
KJV: Hatita
NASB: Hatita
Word Origin: [from an unused root apparently meaning to dig out]

1. explorer
2. Chatita, a temple porter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Hatita

From an unused root apparently meaning to dig out; explorer; Chatita, a temple porter -- Hatita.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a Levite
NASB Translation
Hatita (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חֲטִיטָא proper name, masculine head of a Levitical family, returned exiles Ezra 2:42 ᵐ5 Ατητα, = Nehemiah 7:45 ᵐ5 Ατειτα; in both A Ατιτα, ᵐ5L Αζιζα.

חטל (√of following; Arabic = be flabby (of ear), be tall, long, quivering, be light, quick).

Topical Lexicon
Occurrences in Scripture

The family name חֲטִיטָא appears twice, both times in the post-exilic census lists (Ezra 2:42; Nehemiah 7:45). In Ezra 2:42 the Berean Standard Bible reads, “The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai—139 in all.” A parallel enumeration in Nehemiah 7:45 lists the same clan with a tally of 138, reflecting a minor numerical variation without theological weight.

Identity and Genealogical Placement

Hatita designates a family of “gatekeepers” (Hebrew šōʿărîm), a hereditary Levitical guild responsible for guarding the entrances of the sanctuary precincts. While the first explicit mention of Hatita is post-exilic, gatekeeping itself traces back to the organization instituted by King David (1 Chronicles 26). David’s arrangement linked the duty to the sons of Korah of the tribe of Levi, and the continuity of this ministry in the Hatita family underscores the preservation of Levitical lines through the exile.

Historical Setting

The lists of Ezra and Nehemiah record those who returned from Babylon around 538–432 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Including gatekeepers such as the descendants of Hatita signals more than mere head-counting; it demonstrates that the restored community possessed the necessary personnel for full Temple administration. The presence of specialized servants encouraged the resumption of orderly worship once the altar (Ezra 3:2–3) and later the Temple (Ezra 6:15) were rebuilt.

Ministry of the Gatekeepers

1 Chronicles 9:22–27 describes their responsibilities: standing guard “by divisions” day and night, overseeing the storehouses, and safeguarding the holy vessels. During the Persian period such vigilance was vital, for the rebuilt Second Temple lacked the political autonomy of Solomon’s era and faced both external hostility (Nehemiah 4:1–3) and internal compromise (Nehemiah 13:4–9). Faithful gatekeepers like those of Hatita therefore served as living testimonies to holiness, preventing unauthorized entry and preserving the sanctity of worship.

Theological Significance

1. Preservation of Covenant Order: By assigning specific Levitical families, including Hatita, to concrete tasks, the Lord reaffirmed His covenant structure after the exile. Their presence validated that worship in Jerusalem was not an ad-hoc endeavor but a restoration according to divine prescription (Exodus 40:38; Numbers 3:38).
2. Example of Faithful Service: Although unnamed individuals of Hatita are not spotlighted beyond the lists, the very survival of their lineage illustrates God’s faithfulness to keep “a remnant” (Isaiah 10:20–22) and employs ordinary servants to safeguard extraordinary truths.
3. Anticipation of Ultimate Access in Christ: Gatekeepers controlled entry to God’s earthly dwelling. Their enduring role foreshadows the greater reality that in Jesus Christ, the true Temple (John 2:19–21), access is secured not by lineage but by His priestly mediation (Hebrews 10:19–22). Thus Hatita’s task points forward to the final guarding of the New Jerusalem’s gates, which “will never be shut by day” (Revelation 21:25), because holiness will be perfectly and permanently upheld.

Practical Reflections

• Diligence in Lesser-Seen Roles: Hatita’s descendants teach that obscurity in name does not equal insignificance in ministry. Modern servants who guard doctrinal purity, steward resources, or provide security for congregations mirror the same faithful watch.
• Corporate Responsibility: The inclusion of gatekeepers in the restoration narrative reminds today’s churches that worship involves a whole body, each part contributing to orderly and reverent gatherings (1 Corinthians 14:40).
• Encouragement Amid Opposition: Just as the Hatita family returned to a devastated city yet served steadfastly, believers are strengthened to persevere in ministry whatever the cultural climate, trusting the One who “builds up Jerusalem and gathers the exiles of Israel” (Psalm 147:2).

Key References

Ezra 2:42; Nehemiah 7:45; 1 Chronicles 9:17–27; 1 Chronicles 26:1–19; Nehemiah 12:25; Psalm 84:10; John 2:19–21; Hebrews 10:19–22; Revelation 21:25.

Forms and Transliterations
חֲטִיטָ֖א חטיטא chatiTa ḥă·ṭî·ṭā ḥăṭîṭā
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Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 2:42
HEB: עַקּ֔וּב בְּנֵ֥י חֲטִיטָ֖א בְּנֵ֣י שֹׁבָ֑י
NAS: the sons of Hatita, the sons
KJV: the children of Hatita, the children
INT: of Akkub the children of Hatita the children of Shobai

Nehemiah 7:45
HEB: עַקּ֔וּב בְּנֵ֥י חֲטִיטָ֖א בְּנֵ֣י שֹׁבָ֑י
NAS: the sons of Hatita, the sons
KJV: the children of Hatita, the children
INT: of Akkub the children of Hatita the children of Shobai

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2410
2 Occurrences


ḥă·ṭî·ṭā — 2 Occ.

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