Netophah was a town in Judah, known as the hometown of several notable individuals in the Bible.
Also known as Netophathite · Netophathi
Netophah was a town in Judah, located near Bethlehem. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in connection with the people who lived there. Some of the inhabitants of Netophah returned from the Babylonian exile (Ezra 2:22; Neh. 7:26). The town was also the hometown of several notable figures, including two of David's mighty men, Maharai and Heleb (2Sam. 23:28-29; 1Chr. 11:30; 27:13, 15), and a Levite named Shemaiah (1Chr. 9:16). Additionally, some Levites from Netophah participated in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah (Neh. 12:28). The "sons of the prophets" from Netophah are mentioned in the context of Gedaliah's governorship after the fall of Jerusalem (2Kgs. 25:23; Jer. 40:8).
Approximate location: 31.735, 35.221 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Distillation; dropping, a town in Judah, in the neighbourhood, probably, of Bethlehem (Neh. 7:26; 1 Chr. 2:54). Two of David’s guards were Netophathites (1 Chr. 27:13, 15). It has been identified with the ruins of Metoba, or Um Toba, to the north-east of Bethlehem.
(distillation), a town the name of which occurs only in the catalogue of those who returned with Zerubbabel from the captivity. (Ezra 2:22; Nehemiah 7:26) 1 Esdr. 5:18. But, though not directly mentioned till so late a period, Netophah was really a much older place. Two of David’s guard, (1 Chronicles 17:13,15) were Netophathites. The “villages of the Neophathites” were the residence of the Levites. (1 Chronicles 9:16) From another notice we learn that the particular Levites who inhabited these villages were singers. (Nehemiah 12:28) To judge from (Nehemiah 7:26) the town was in the neighborhood of, or closely connected with, Bethlehem.
NETO'PHAH (dropping), a town, apparently in Judah, the name of which occurs only in the catalogue of those who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity. Ezr 2:22; Neh 7:26; ??1 Esd. 5:18??. Netophah was really an old place. Two of David's guard, 1 Chr 27:13, 1 Chr 27:15, were Netophathites. The "villages of the Netophathites" were the residence of the Levites. 1 Chr 9:16. Levites who inhabited these villages were singers. Neh 12:28. From Neh 7:26, the town seems to have been in the neighborhood of, or closely connected with, Bethlehem. Van de Velde suggests Antubeh, 2 miles north-east of Bethlehem, as the site of Netophah, The Palestine Memoirs note ruins north-east of Bethlehem that were called Metoba or Usum Toba, probably the same as Antubeh of Van de Velde, and Conder identifies them as ancient Netophah.
NETO'PHAH (dropping), a town, apparently in Judah, the name of which occurs only in the catalogue of those who returned with Zerubbabel from the Captivity. Ezr 2:22; Neh 7:26; ??1 Esd. 5:18??. Netophah was really an old place. Two of David's guard, 1 Chr 27:13, 1 Chr 27:15, were Netophathites. The "villages of the Netophathites" were the residence of the Levites. 1 Chr 9:16. Levites who inhabited these villages were singers. Neh 12:28. From Neh 7:26, the town seems to have been in the neighborhood of, or closely connected with, Bethlehem. Van de Velde suggests Antubeh, 2 miles north-east of Bethlehem, as the site of Netophah, The Palestine Memoirs note ruins north-east of Bethlehem that were called Metoba or Usum Toba, probably the same as Antubeh of Van de Velde, and Conder identifies them as ancient Netophah.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
12 verses in 6 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5199
Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,
When all the commanders of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, as well as their men.
The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites,
Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite,
The tenth, for the tenth month, was Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite. There were 24,000 men in his division.
The twelfth, for the twelfth month, was Heldai the Netophathite, from the family of Othniel. There were 24,000 men in his division.
the men of Netophah, 56;
the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,
they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.