◄ 8073. Shamlay ►
Lexical Summary
Shamlay: Shamlay

Original Word: שַׁמְלַי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shamlay
Pronunciation: sham-LAI
Phonetic Spelling: (sham-lah'-ee)
KJV: Shalmai (from the margin)
Word Origin: [for H8014 (שַׂלמַי - Shalmai)]

1. Shamlai, one of the Nethinim

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shalmai

For Salmay; Shamlai, one of the Nethinim -- Shalmai (from the margin).

see HEBREW Salmay

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
scribal error for Salmay, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Etymology

Shamlai is preserved in the Hebrew lexica as a proper name derived from a root that conveys the idea of a covering or garment, suggesting “clothed one,” “garmented one,” or “Yahweh has covered.” Although unattested in the canonical text, the name’s formation follows well-known patterns for theophoric or descriptive Hebrew personal names.

Canonical Absence and Textual Witness

The Masoretic Text never records Shamlai in its narrative, legal, poetic, or prophetic sections. The entry survives through lexical tradition and, most likely, reflects an ancient variant spelling of the attested Nethinim name “Shalmai” (Ezra 2:46; Nehemiah 7:48). Ancient scribes sometimes interchanged the consonants ל and מ in personal names, which accounts for the appearance of both spellings in secondary lists and glossaries. The absence of Shamlai in the final form of Scripture reminds readers that God’s providence extends not only to the inclusion but also to the exclusion of material (Proverbs 30:5).

Relationship to the Nethinim

If Shamlai is a scribal variant of Shalmai, it points to the group of temple servants who returned from exile with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:43-54). The Nethinim were set apart to assist the Levites in house-of-God duties (1 Chronicles 9:2; Ezra 8:20). Their presence demonstrated that worship required the participation of many faithful, not merely the prominently named priests or Levites. In that sense Shamlai—though unrecorded in specific events—symbolizes unheralded service rendered to the Lord.

Historical Implications

The Nethinim list falls within the Persian period, around 538-458 BC. Families such as Shamlai’s would have left the security of Babylon to rebuild a devastated homeland. Their willingness to shoulder menial labor embodies the post-exilic themes of restoration, covenant renewal, and corporate holiness (Ezra 6:21).

Thematic Significance

1. Hidden yet essential ministry: Scripture often highlights unnamed or scarcely named servants whom God nevertheless notices (2 Kings 5:2-3; Mark 14:13-16). Shamlai’s obscurity underscores the Lord’s valuation of faithfulness over renown.
2. Garment imagery: If the name carries the sense of “covered,” it resonates with passages where God’s salvation is portrayed as a garment. “He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). The lexical connection invites reflection on divine covering, from the tunics for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) to the white robes given to the saints (Revelation 7:14).
3. Covenant identity: Post-exilic genealogies sought to certify membership in the covenant community (Ezra 2:62). Even variant spellings such as Shamlai emphasize the importance of belonging to God’s people, a truth amplified in the New Testament doctrine of adoption (Ephesians 1:5).

Ministry Applications

• Encourage invisible servants: Those who sweep floors, maintain buildings, or prepare communion elements stand in a long line of temple helpers. Shamlai’s preserved name—even without a narrative—validates their labor before God (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Guard corporate memory: Recording names, even obscure ones, teaches congregations to honor heritage and accountability. Church rolls and mission logs serve a biblical function comparable to Ezra’s lists.
• Teach spiritual covering: Use the etymology as a springboard to proclaim the gospel truth that believers are “clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Christological Foreshadowing

Every priest, Levite, and Nethinim pointed forward to the perfect Servant. Like Shamlai, Jesus performed lowly tasks—washing feet (John 13:4-5)—yet through His humiliation He became “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). The possible meaning “Yahweh has covered” finds ultimate fulfillment in the atonement, where the blood of Christ covers sin (Romans 4:7-8; compare Psalm 32:1).

Summary

Though Shamlai never surfaces in the narrative, the name occupies a meaningful place in biblical theology. It highlights textual fidelity, attests to the faithfulness of forgotten servants, and invites reflection on the divine covering provided in redemption.

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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