Lexical Summary Reelayah: Reelaiah Original Word: רְעֵלָיָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Reeliah From ra'al and Yahh; made to tremble (i.e. Fearful) of Jah; Reelajah, an Israelite -- Reeliah. see HEBREW ra'al see HEBREW Yahh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom raal and Yah Definition companion of Zerubbabel NASB Translation Reelaiah (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רְעֵלָיָה proper name, masculine companion of Zerubbabel, Ezra 2:2 (Ρεελεια, ᵐ5L Δεμίου), = רַעַמְיָה Nehemiah 7:7 (Νααμια, א Δαεμια, ᵐ5L Δαιμίας, A Ρεελμα). רעם ( √ of following, probably onomatopoetic; Gerber47 proposes move violently as original meaning, but reference to thunderous sound everywhere, except Ezekiel 27:35 where text dubious, see below; compare Aramaic רַעַם, רְעִים noun thunder, רְעֵם verb thunder; especially Aph`el Ithpa`al utter (loud) complaints; רַעַמְיָה (? thunder of ׳י) Nehemiah 7:7 see רְעֵלָיָה. Topical Lexicon Identification and Occurrence Reelaiah is listed among the leaders of the first great return of exiles from Babylon under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2). His name appears only this once in the Old Testament record, giving it a unique though brief place in biblical history. Historical Context The decree of Cyrus in 538 B.C. opened the way for the Judean captives to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:1-4). Ezra 2 catalogues approximately fifty thousand returnees who formed the nucleus of the restored community. In this carefully preserved roster, Reelaiah is named in the company of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This list underscores the seriousness with which Scripture traces covenant faithfulness through identifiable individuals. Roles and Significance in the Restoration Community 1. Representative Leadership 2. Witness to Prophetic Fulfillment Theological and Ministry Reflections • Faithfulness in Obscurity Reelaiah’s name surfaces once, then disappears. Yet Scripture’s deliberate preservation of that single mention reminds believers that God sees and records every act of fidelity, whether public or hidden (Malachi 3:16). His identification with the broader community of returnees illustrates the biblical truth that redemptive history moves forward through a covenant people, not isolated heroes. Ministry today likewise flourishes when individual gifts are integrated into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Leaving the relative stability of Babylon for the ruins of Jerusalem required risk-taking faith. Modern servants of Christ are called to similar courage in gospel advance and local church revitalization. Related Names and Possible Variants The parallel record in Nehemiah 7:7 lists “Raamiah” in a comparable position. Many scholars regard this as the same individual, reflecting either a dialectal spelling or scribal variation. The connection strengthens the composite picture of leadership continuity from Zerubbabel’s generation to Nehemiah’s. Lessons for the Church Today 1. God values every contributor to His redemptive plan, whether well-known or scarcely mentioned. Forms and Transliterations רְֽעֵלָיָ֜ה רעליה rə‘êlāyāh rə·‘ê·lā·yāh reelaYahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 2:2 HEB: נְ֠חֶמְיָה שְׂרָיָ֨ה רְֽעֵלָיָ֜ה מָרְדֳּכַ֥י בִּלְשָׁ֛ן NAS: Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, KJV: Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, INT: Nehemiah Seraiah Reelaiah Mordecai Bilshan 1 Occurrence |
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, 
noun thunder, 
verb thunder, lament, compare Late Hebrew רָעַם Hiph`il thunder, Hithpa`el complain; Ethiopic 
: noun thunder, Assyrian rîmu, id.; Arabic 
vex, dislike, etc.).