Sotai
Who he was
Sotai is mentioned in Ezra 2:55 and Nehemiah 7:57 as the ancestor of a family of Solomon's servants who were among the exiles that returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. Solomon's servants were a group of people who were assigned to work for King Solomon and his descendants, possibly as craftsmen, laborers, or officials.
The descendants of Sotai are listed among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Jeshua, the high priest. This return took place around 538 BC, after the Persian king Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
The mention of Sotai and his descendants in the lists of returning exiles highlights the importance of maintaining family records and genealogies among the Israelites, even during the Babylonian captivity. It also shows that not only the prominent families but also the servants and workers were included in the return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Jewish community.
Every mention
Ezra 1 mention
Nehemiah 1 mention
What the dictionary says
(changeful).
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain