ASAIAH

(A·saiʹah) [Jah Has Made].

1. A descendant of Merari, Levi’s third son, and a head of a paternal house. He was one of the chief men among the Levites who formed part of the group of 862 chosen to share in bringing up the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem at the time of David’s second (and successful) attempt.​—1Ch 6:29, 30; 15:4-12.

2. A chieftain of the tribe of Simeon in the days of King Hezekiah (745-717 B.C.E.). He was among those Simeonites who took part in conquering a rich valley in the area of Gedor, till then occupied by Hamites and the Meunim.​—1Ch 4:36-41.

3. Called “the king’s servant,” he was one of a commission of five, headed by Hilkiah, whom King Josiah sent to the prophetess Huldah to inquire of Jehovah about the meaning of the recently discovered book of the Law (in 642 B.C.E.).​—2Ki 22:3, 8, 12-14; 2Ch 34:20, 21.

4. The firstborn of the Shilonites (1Ch 9:1-3, 5), listed among those returning from Babylon after the exile. At Nehemiah 11:5 mention is made of Maaseiah as a “Shelanite” descendant of Judah, and because of the similar meaning of the names (Maaseiah meaning “Work of Jehovah”) some consider them to be the same and descended from Shelah, the youngest son of Judah by the daughter of Shua the Canaanite.​—Ge 38:2, 5; see MAASEIAH No. 17.