Original Word: שֶׁלֶמְיָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shelemyah
Pronunciation: sheh-leh-my-YAH or sheh-leh-MY-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (shel-em-yaw')
KJV: Shelemiah
NASB: Shelemiah
Word Origin: [from H8002 (שֶׁלֶם - peace offerings) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. thank-offering of Jah
2. Shelemjah, the name of nine Israelites

Shelemiah

Or Shelemyahuw {shel-em-yaw'-hoo}; from shelem and Yahh; thank-offering of Jah; Shelemjah, the name of nine Israelites -- Shelemiah.

see HEBREW shelem

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from shelem and Yah
Definition
"friend of Yah," the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Shelemiah (10).

שֶׁלֶמְיָה(וּׅ proper name, masculine 1. Jeremiah's time; Σελεμιου (genitive):

a. יָ֫הוּ- Jeremiah 36:14.

b. י֫הוּ Jeremiah 36:26.

c. יָה- Jeremiah 37:3, יָהוּ- Jeremiah 38:1.

d. יָה-

2 Levite, יָהוּ- 1 Chronicles 26:14, τῷ Σαλαμεια, etc., = שַׁלּוּם 12a, q. v.

3 post-exilic names:

a. יָה- Nehemiah 3:30, Τελεμια(ς), ᵐ5^L Σελ.

b. יָה- Nehemiah 13:13, priest, Σελεμια(ς) ( = c or

d ?).

c. יָה- Ezra 10:39, Σελεμια.

d. יָהוּ- Ezra 10:41, ᵐ5 id.

Overview

The name Shelemiah (Strong’s Hebrew 8018) appears ten times in the Old Testament and designates several different men whose lives span the united monarchy, the post-exilic community, and the final decades of the kingdom of Judah. Together they illustrate the diverse responses of Israel’s leaders and laity to the covenant: some served faithfully, others compromised, and still others opposed God’s prophetic word.

Principal bearers of the name:

1. A gatekeeper in the days of King David (1 Chronicles 26:14).
2. Two post-exilic Israelites who repented of intermarriage (Ezra 10:39, 41).
3. The father of Hananiah, one of Nehemiah’s wall-builders (Nehemiah 3:30).
4. A priest trusted as a treasurer (Nehemiah 13:13).
5. Four men tied to the royal court of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah:
• Shelemiah son of Cushi, grandfather of Jehudi (Jeremiah 36:14).
• Shelemiah son of Abdeel (Jeremiah 36:26).
• Shelemiah father of Jehucal, also called Jucal (Jeremiah 37:3; 38:1).
• Shelemiah father of Irijah, the captain who arrested Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:13).

Shelemiah the Gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 26:14)

The Chronicler records the casting of lots for the Temple gates: “The lot for the east gate fell to Shelemiah” (1 Chronicles 26:14).
• Ministry context: Gatekeepers protected the sanctity of worship, controlled access to the courts, and guarded the treasures (26:20).
• Significance: By receiving the east gate—the most prominent entry—Shelemiah’s family was entrusted with a position of high visibility and responsibility, underscoring God’s orderliness in worship.

Shelemiah and Post-Exilic Reform (Ezra 10:39, 41)

During Ezra’s call to separate from foreign wives, two men named Shelemiah are listed among the repentant. Their inclusion shows that the revival reached individual hearts, not merely communal structures. Their willingness to obey hard truth highlights genuine repentance that safeguards covenant identity.

Shelemiah in Nehemiah’s Restoration Work

1. Father of a Builder (Nehemiah 3:30)

Hananiah son of Shelemiah helped repair Jerusalem’s wall. Though the text focuses on Hananiah, the mention of his father indicates a family committed to the city’s renewal.

2. Trusted Priest-Treasurer (Nehemiah 13:13)

“I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah the Levite, and next to them Hanan son of Zaccur… in charge of the storerooms, because they were considered trustworthy”.
• Role: Oversight of tithes, grain, wine, and oil—vital to Temple worship.
• Lesson: Faithful stewardship ensures the resources of God’s house are used rightly, countering earlier neglect (13:10–12).

Shelemiah in the Courts of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (Jeremiah 36–38)

The closing years of Judah’s monarchy feature four Shelemiahs linked to royal administration. Collectively they stand at the crossroads of political power and prophetic confrontation.

1. An Ancestor of Jehudi (Jeremiah 36:14)

Officials sent “Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi” to summon Baruch. While Jehudi obeyed the order, he later read Jeremiah’s scroll before the king, facilitating both the proclamation and the rejection of God’s word.

2. Shelemiah son of Abdeel (Jeremiah 36:26)

Commissioned to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch after the scroll was burned: “But the LORD had hidden them”. His failure shows divine preservation of prophecy despite royal hostility.

3. Father of Jehucal (Jucal) (Jeremiah 37:3; 38:1)

Zedekiah dispatched “Jehucal son of Shelemiah” to request intercession, yet the same Jehucal later urged the king to silence Jeremiah. This vacillation mirrors the king’s own instability.

4. Father of Irijah (Jeremiah 37:13)

Irijah, a captain of the guard, arrested Jeremiah on false charges of desertion. His lineage links him to Shelemiah yet distinguishes him from the others, emphasizing how multiple family branches could take divergent stances toward God’s messenger.

Theological and Ministry Insights

1. Faithful Service in God’s House

The gatekeeper and priest-treasurer show that ordinary yet devoted ministry roles—security and stewardship—are essential to covenant worship.

2. Repentance and Reform

The Ezra occurrences remind the Church that genuine revival addresses personal sin. Naming offenders publicly underscores accountability.

3. Responses to Prophetic Truth

The Jeremiah narratives reveal a spectrum from cautious inquiry (sending messengers) to overt persecution (attempted arrest). The same family name appears on both sides, warning that heritage alone does not determine obedience.

4. Providence Amid Opposition

Despite royal edicts, “the LORD had hidden them” (Jeremiah 36:26). God sovereignly protects His word and His servants, encouraging believers facing hostile cultures.

Chronological Summary

• c. 1000 BC — Shelemiah the gatekeeper serves during David’s reign.
• 538-433 BC — Post-exilic Shelemiahs participate in moral and structural restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah.
• 609-586 BC — Several Shelemiahs interact with Jeremiah in the turbulent courts of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah.

Key Lessons for Today

• God values faithful anonymity as much as public prominence.
• Personal repentance sustains corporate holiness.
• Each generation must choose obedience; lineage provides no spiritual immunity.
• Divine purposes advance even when civil authority resists Scripture.

וְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֥ה וְשֶׁלֶמְיָ֖הוּ ושלמיה ושלמיהו לְשֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֑הוּ לשלמיהו שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֖ה שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֗ה שֶֽׁלֶמְיָ֙הוּ֙ שֶׁ֣לֶמְיָ֔הוּ שֶׁלֶמְיָ֗ה שֶׁלֶמְיָ֣הוּ שֶׁלֶמְיָ֨ה שלמיה שלמיהו lə·še·lem·yā·hū ləšelemyāhū leshelemYahu še·lem·yā·hū še·lem·yāh šelemyāh šelemyāhū shelemYah shelemYahu veshelemYah veshelemYahu wə·še·lem·yā·hū wə·še·lem·yāh wəšelemyāh wəšelemyāhūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts