Who are the…
Nethinim
This is the plural name given to the hereditary temple servants in all the post-Exilian books of Scripture.
They were “those set apart,” referring to the menial work of the sanctuary for the Levites.
The name occurs 17 times, and in each case in the King James Version incorrectly terminates in “s”, “Nethinims;” in the Revised King James Version, correctly without the “s” (Ezra 2:70; 7:7, 24; 8:20, etc.).
The tradition is that the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:27) were the original caste, afterwards called Nethinim.
Their numbers were added to afterwards from captives taken in battle; and they were formally given by David to the Levites (Ezra 8:20), and so were called Nethinim, i.e., the given ones, given to the Levites to be their servants.
Only 612 Nethinim returned from Babylon (Ezra 2:58; 8:20). They were under the control of a chief from among themselves (2:43; Neh. 7:46).
No reference to them appears in the New Testament, because it is probable that they became merged in the general body of the Jewish people.
More information
- What are Levites?
- Sanctuary
- What is the Holy Tabernacle? and what is its significance?
- What is Solomon’s Temple?
- What is the Herod’s Temple?
- What is The Exile?