2812. Chashabnah
Lexical Summary
Chashabnah: Chashabnah

Original Word: חֲשַׁבְנָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Chashabnah
Pronunciation: khash-ab-naw'
Phonetic Spelling: (khash-ab-naw')
KJV: Hashabnah
NASB: Hashabnah
Word Origin: [feminine of H2808 (חֶשׁבּוֹן - explanation)]

1. inventiveness
2. Chashnah, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Hashabnah

Feminine of cheshbown; inventiveness; Chashnah, an Israelite -- Hashabnah.

see HEBREW cheshbown

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chashab
Definition
an Isr. leader in Nehemiah's time
NASB Translation
Hashabnah (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חֲשַׁבְנָה proper name, masculine (this and following perhaps textual error for חשׁביה(וׅ; yet ᵐ5 Εσβανα, ᵐ5L Ασβανα) — a chief of the people, Nehemiah's time Nehemiah 10:26. See also following.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

Nehemiah 10:25 names חֲשַׁבְנָה among the community leaders who affixed their seals to the renewed covenant in Jerusalem: “Rehum, Hashabnah, and Maaseiah”. His appearance is singular in Scripture, yet his inclusion in this solemn act underscores the collective resolve of post-exilic Judah to walk in wholehearted obedience to the Law of Moses.

Historical Setting

The covenant ceremony recorded in Nehemiah 9–10 follows the public reading of the Law during the seventh month of 445 BC. After confessing national sin (Nehemiah 9:1-37), the leaders, Levites, and people bound themselves “with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God” (Nehemiah 10:29). Hashabnah’s seal—likely impressed upon a clay bulla—stands beside that of priests, Levites, and civic officials, illustrating a unified, cross-sectional commitment to covenant fidelity at a critical juncture in Judah’s restoration.

Name Theology

Derived from the Hebrew root חשב (“to think, account, consider”), the name suggests ideas of thoughtful reckoning or intentional planning. In biblical narrative, names often function as testimonies to character or calling. Hashabnah’s participation in the covenant implies a man who willingly aligned his life—and perhaps guided others—to “consider” God’s statutes and “account” obedience as life’s highest priority.

Theological Themes

1. Covenant Renewal: Hashabnah’s signature embodies a recurring biblical motif—God’s people recommitting themselves after periods of declension (Exodus 24:7-8; Joshua 24:25-27; 2 Kings 23:1-3).
2. Corporate Responsibility: Individual names in Nehemiah 10 highlight personal accountability within communal vows. Though one among many, Hashabnah’s inclusion reminds believers that faithfulness is both individual and corporate (Ezra 10:19; 1 Corinthians 12:27).
3. Written Witness: The sealed document prefigures the New Covenant promise of God’s law inscribed on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3). The tangible seal of Hashabnah points toward the inner sealing of the Spirit granted to every believer (Ephesians 1:13).

Ministerial Significance

• Leadership by Example: Ministry today still requires visible commitment to Scripture’s authority. Hashabnah’s public act encourages modern leaders to embody obedience, not merely exhort it (1 Timothy 4:12).
• Covenant Accountability: Churches may draw from Nehemiah 10’s model—articulating shared convictions, defining holiness standards, and joining together in mutual accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Memory and Motivation: Recording names served to memorialize faithfulness for succeeding generations (Malachi 3:16). Documented commitments, mission statements, or membership covenants continue that tradition, motivating ongoing fidelity.

Practical Lessons for Believers

1. Do not underestimate “minor” characters; Scripture’s single mention of Hashabnah enshrines his choice before all generations (Romans 15:4).
2. Renewed devotion often follows fresh exposure to God’s Word (Nehemiah 8:8; Psalm 119:105).
3. Obedience involves both heart and formal declaration. Public commitments can strengthen private resolve (Matthew 10:32).

Connections to the New Testament

• The covenant sealed in Nehemiah’s day anticipated the ultimate covenant sealed by Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15).
• The accountability of leaders in Nehemiah 10 foreshadows the elder responsibility taught by Peter and Paul (1 Peter 5:1-3; Titus 1:7-9).
• The act of “considering” God’s ways resonates with the call to “consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).

Summary

Though appearing only once, חֲשַׁבְנָה exemplifies thoughtful commitment amid national renewal. His name, rooted in deliberate reflection, his role as covenant signer, and the context of Nehemiah’s reforms collectively commend to every generation a life that consciously counts the cost of obedience and unites with God’s people in covenant fidelity.

Forms and Transliterations
חֲשַׁבְנָ֖ה חשבנה chashavNah ḥă·šaḇ·nāh ḥăšaḇnāh
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Nehemiah 10:25
HEB: רְח֥וּם חֲשַׁבְנָ֖ה מַעֲשֵׂיָֽה׃
NAS: Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
KJV: Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
INT: Rehum Hashabnah Maaseiah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2812
1 Occurrence


ḥă·šaḇ·nāh — 1 Occ.

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