Sallai

At a Glance

A post-exilic biblical name attached to community lists, not a theological concept.

Key Points

• Appears in post-exilic genealogical or community records.
• Refers to a little-known individual or individuals.
• The Bible gives no extended narrative biography.

Description

Sallai is a biblical personal name preserved in Old Testament post-exilic lists. Scripture gives almost no narrative detail, so the name is best treated as a minor proper name rather than as a developed biblical character or theological concept. The entry belongs in the context of the restored community after the exile, where genealogical and civic lists helped identify families, locations, and covenant membership in Judah and Jerusalem.

Biblical Context

The name occurs in lists that record members of the returned and settled covenant community after the exile. Such lists preserve the identity of ordinary Israelites as part of God's restored people.

Historical Context

After the Babylonian exile, genealogies and civic lists helped organize worship, inheritance, and settlement in Jerusalem and surrounding towns.

Jewish and Ancient Context

In Second Temple Judaism, community lists were important for tracing family lines, land, and temple-related service.

Primary Key Texts

• Nehemiah 11:8

Secondary Key Texts

• Related post-exilic name lists in Ezra-Nehemiah
• the biblical evidence is brief and largely confined to community registers.

Original Language Note

Hebrew personal name; the meaning is uncertain from the biblical evidence available here.

Theological Significance

Sallai itself carries no major doctrine, but it reflects God's preservation of named individuals within the restored remnant.

Philosophical Explanation

Minor biblical names remind readers that Scripture is not only about major leaders but also about ordinary covenant members.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not build a biography or doctrine from the name alone; the biblical record is brief and largely limited to list material.

Major Views

This entry is a proper name, not a theological term. The available biblical data do not support a fuller biography.

Doctrinal Boundaries

No distinct doctrine attaches to the name itself.

Practical Significance

Encourages attention to the overlooked people in Scripture and God's care for the whole covenant community.

Related Entries

• Benjamin
• Jerusalem
• Nehemiah
• Returned exiles

See Also

• Ezra-Nehemiah
• Genealogy
• Post-exilic community