Heldai

Two men named Heldai appear in the Hebrew scriptures. One is a captain in David's standing army; the other is an exile named in a symbolic crowning during Zechariah's ministry.

Heldai the Netophathite

The first Heldai serves as captain of the twelfth monthly division under David, drawn from the line of Othniel: "The twelfth [captain] for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his course were twenty and four thousand" (1 Chr 27:15). The same man — same village, same patronymic line — is named with two textual variants in the warrior lists. In 1 Chronicles he appears as Heled: "Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite" (1 Chr 11:30). In the parallel roster of David's mighty men in 2 Samuel he is called Heleb: "Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin" (2 Sam 23:29). Across the three references the figure is consistently a Netophathite, marking him to a single Judean village south of Bethlehem.

Heldai the returnee

A second Heldai appears among returnees from Babylon during the prophetic ministry of Zechariah. The prophet receives a directive concerning silver and gold brought back by exiles: "Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and you come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon" (Zech 6:10). The metal is to be made into crowns — a sign-act tied to the post-exilic restoration of the temple and priesthood.