Shemaiah

S1H4E1M3A1I1A1H4
/ʃɛmɛˈjɑː/

proper noun

A prophet in the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:22-24).

OriginBiblical Hebrew שְׁמַעְיָה →
RareScrabble 16
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. Any of several people in the Tanakh, and Christian Old Testament:
    1. biblicalA prophet in the reign of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:22-24).
    2. biblicalNeh. 3:29.
    3. biblicalA Simeonite (1 Chr. 4:37).
    4. biblicalA priest (Neh. 12:42).
    5. biblicalA Levite (1 Chr. 9:16).
    6. biblical1 Chr. 9:14; Neh. 11:15.
    7. biblicalA Levite in the time of David, who with 200 of his brethren took part in the bringing up of the ark from Obed-edom to Hebron (1 Chr. 15:8).
    8. biblicalA Levite (1 Chr. 24:6).
    9. biblicalThe eldest son of Obed-edom (1 Chr. 26:4-8).
    10. biblicalA Levite (2 Chr. 29:14).
    11. biblicalA false prophet who hindered the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. 6:10).
    12. biblicalA prince of Judah who assisted at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:34-36).
    13. biblicalA false prophet who opposed Jeremiah (Jer. 29:24-32).
    14. biblicalOne of the Levites whom Jehoshaphat appointed to teach the law (2 Chr. 17:8).
    15. biblicalA Levite appointed to "distribute the oblations of the Lord" (2 Chr. 31:15).
    16. biblicalA Levite (2 Chr. 35:9).
    17. biblicalThe father of Urijah the prophet (Jer. 26:20).
    18. biblicalThe father of a prince in the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer. 36:12).
    19. biblicalA rabbinic sage who was leader of the Pharisees in 1st century BC.

Origin

  1. Biblical Hebrewשְׁמַעְיָה“[whom] God heard”
  2. EnglishShemaiah

From the Biblical Hebrew שְׁמַעְיָה (“[whom] God heard”).

More words from Biblical Hebrew

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Shemaiah. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shemaiah

MLA

“Shemaiah.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shemaiah. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shemaiah,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shemaiah.

Source: Shemaiah on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.