Nehemias - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

NEHEMIAS

ne-he-mi'-as:

Greek form of the Hebrew Nehemiah.

(1) Neemias, one of the leaders of the return under Zerubbabel (1 Esdras 5:8) equals "Nehemiah" of Ezra 2:2; Nehemiah 7:7.

(2) Neemias, Codex Vaticanus Naimias, the prophet Nehemiah (1 Esdras 5:40 where the King James Version margin reads "Nehemias who also is Atharias"). Neither Nehemias nor Attharias is found in the parallel Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65, but ha-tirshatha' equals Tirshatha, "the governor," by whom Zerubbabel must be intended. Thus, the Hebrew word for "governor" has been converted into a proper name and by some blunder the name Nehemiah inserted, perhaps because he also was known by the title of "governor."

S. Angus

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'NEHEMIAS'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.