Jeshua

Jeshua is a name carried by ten distinct persons in the post-exilic books, plus a town in Judah, plus an alternate spelling of Joshua the son of Nun. The dominant Jeshua is the son of Jozadak, the high priest who returns with Zerubbabel and rebuilds the altar and temple, and who later stands in Zechariah's visions as a sign of the coming Branch. Around him cluster a Davidic priestly course, two Levitical houses, lay clans, a wall-builder's father, and a covenant-sealing Levite — all sharing the name.

A Davidic Priestly Course

The earliest Jeshua is the head of the ninth course among the priests under David: "the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah" (1 Chr 24:11). The house bearing his name persists into the second-temple era, with nine hundred seventy-three of his descendants returning from Babylon: "the priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three" (Ezr 2:36; Neh 7:39).

A Levite of Hezekiah's Reform

A separate Jeshua serves as a Levite under Hezekiah, stationed "in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by courses" (2 Chr 31:15). His descendants likewise return after the captivity — "the Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel" — numbered at seventy-four (Ezr 2:40; Neh 7:43).

Jeshua Son of Jozadak: The Returning High Priest

The most prominent Jeshua leads the first wave of returnees alongside Zerubbabel. He is named in both registers of those "who came with Zerubbabel" (Ezr 2:2; Neh 7:7), and he heads the priestly contingent that "went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel" (Neh 12:1). His own line is traced forward through the high-priestly succession: "Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada" (Neh 12:10).

His first public act is to rebuild the altar: "Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God" (Ezr 3:2).

In the second year of the return Jeshua and Zerubbabel begin the temple itself, and Jeshua stands "with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and Binnui [and] Hodaviah together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God" (Ezr 3:8-9). When the foundation is laid, the people respond with mingled joy and grief — those who had seen the first house "wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people" (Ezr 3:12-13).

The work meets opposition. The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin ask to join, claiming "we seek your⁺ God, as you⁺ do" (Ezr 4:2), but Jeshua refuses: "You⁺ have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us" (Ezr 4:3). After the work has stalled, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesy "in the name of the God of Israel" (Ezr 5:1), and Jeshua and Zerubbabel "rose up and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them" (Ezr 5:2).

Sirach's praise of the fathers remembers him in the same role: "And also Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, Who in their days built the House, And set up on high the Holy Temple, Which was prepared for everlasting glory" (Sir 49:12).

Lesser Houses Bearing the Name

Several other Jeshuas carry only a verse or two each. A Jeshua is named the father of Jozabad, who along with Noadiah son of Binnui receives the weighed silver and gold and vessels in the house of God (Ezr 8:33). A lay Jeshua heads a clan of Pahath-moab whose sons return in great numbers — "two thousand eight hundred and twelve" in Ezr 2:6 and "two thousand and eight hundred [and] eighteen" in the parallel Neh 7:11. Another Jeshua is the father of "Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah," who repairs a portion of the wall "across from the ascent to the armory at the turning [of the wall]" (Neh 3:19).

A Levite Who Taught the Law

Yet another Jeshua appears among the Levites who interpret Ezra's reading of the law: "Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law" (Neh 8:7). A Jeshua is again on the Levitical roster of the second temple: "Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving" (Neh 12:8). A Levite Jeshua "the son of Azaniah" seals Nehemiah's covenant at the head of his order (Neh 10:9).

A Town in Judah

The name also belongs to a settlement of the returning sons of Judah: "and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and Beth-pelet" (Neh 11:26).

Joshua Son of Nun under the Spelling Jeshua

When the post-exilic assembly keeps the feast of booths, the conqueror of Canaan is recalled by this same form of the name: "for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the sons of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness" (Neh 8:17). The narrator's choice ties the joy of the second-temple feast back to the entry into the land. See Joshua.

The Symbolic Visions of Zechariah

Zechariah's third vision sets Jeshua son of Jozadak — under the spelling Joshua — at the center of an oracle of cleansing. He stands "before the angel of Yahweh, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary" (Zec 3:1), and Yahweh rebukes the accuser: "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zec 3:2). Joshua's "filthy garments" are stripped from him and replaced with "rich apparel" and a clean turban (Zec 3:3-5). The angel then declares the priest and his companions to be "men who are a sign: for, look, I will bring forth my slave the Branch" (Zec 3:8); a stone is set before him with seven eyes, and Yahweh promises, "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day" (Zec 3:9).

The fourth vision turns symbol into ceremony. Crowns of silver and gold are made and "set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest" (Zec 6:11). The oracle attached to the crowning identifies the figure foreshadowed: "Look, the man whose name is the Branch: and he will grow up out of his place; and he will build the temple of Yahweh; even he will build the temple of Yahweh; and he will bear the grandeur, and will sit and rule on his throne; and he will be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace will be between them both" (Zec 6:12-13). The crowns themselves are deposited "for a memorial in the temple of Yahweh" (Zec 6:14), and the promise extends outward: "those who are far off will come and build in the temple of Yahweh; and you⁺ will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent me to you⁺" (Zec 6:15).