Original Word: פִלְחָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Pilcha'
Pronunciation: pil-khaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (pil-khaw')
KJV: Pilcha
NASB: Pilha
Word Origin: [from H6400 (פֶּלַח - slice)]

1. slicing
2. Pilcha, an Israelite

Pilcha

From pelach; slicing; Pilcha, an Israelite -- Pilcha.

see HEBREW pelach

Word Origin
from palach
Definition
a postexilic Isr.
NASB Translation
Pilha (1).

מִּלְחָא (Baer מִּלְחָה) proper name, masculine post-exilic name Nehemiah 10:25; Φαδαεις, ᵐ5^L Φαλλαει.

Name and Singular Occurrence

Pilha (פִלְחָא, Strong’s H6401) appears once, in Nehemiah 10:24, as one of the Levites who “sealed” the post-exilic covenant. Though otherwise unknown, his inclusion in the inspired record underscores Scripture’s recurring theme that every servant, however obscure, is known to God and has a place in His redemptive story.

Historical Setting

The scene is Jerusalem about 445 BC. Under Nehemiah’s civil leadership and Ezra’s spiritual leadership, the returned exiles vowed afresh to walk in covenant obedience (Nehemiah 9–10). The list of signatories (Nehemiah 10:1-29) formalized a corporate recommitment to the Law after generations of exile-induced neglect. Pilha stands among Levites whose lineage called them to teach and guard that Law (Deuteronomy 33:10).

Role in the Covenant Renewal

While priests represented sacrificial mediation and civil leaders represented governance, the Levites represented instruction and worship. By sealing the document, Pilha publicly declared:
• fidelity to the written Word—“to follow the Law of God given through Moses” (Nehemiah 10:29);
• separation from pagan practice (10:30);
• wholehearted support of temple worship, including tithes, firstfruits, and the wood offering (10:32-39).

Thus Pilha helped bind the community to a practical, measurable expression of holiness.

Theological Implications

1. Covenant Accountability. Naming individual Levites frames obedience not as an abstract ideal but a personal duty.
2. Continuity of Worship. Pilha’s signature links pre-exilic Levitical ministry with its post-exilic restoration, showing God’s purposes never stall despite national upheaval.
3. Record of Faithfulness. Scripture memorializes ordinary believers who choose fidelity when cultural drift threatens devotion (cf. Malachi 3:16).

Lessons for Contemporary Discipleship

• Faith is communal yet personal. Like Pilha, believers today must own corporate commitments—church covenants, doctrinal statements, mission partnerships—rather than presume others will carry them out.
• Small names, lasting impact. Ministry that may feel invisible on earth is never forgotten in heaven (Hebrews 6:10).
• Scripture’s reliability. Precise historical details such as Pilha’s name reinforce confidence that biblical narrative is not mythic but factual.

Related References for Study

Nehemiah 8:1-8; 9:38; 10:1-39 — background and terms of the covenant

Deuteronomy 29:9-15 — earlier covenant renewal pattern

1 Chronicles 9:10-34 — Levitical duties after the exile

1 Peter 2:9 — the believer’s priestly calling

Pilha’s solitary mention may be brief, yet through it the Holy Spirit reminds each generation that covenant loyalty, however quiet, is eternally significant.

פִּלְחָ֖א פלחא pil·ḥā pilCha pilḥāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts