Maaseiah

Many men in Scripture are named Maaseiah, and the verses never say which is which. One appears among the priests in Ezra 10 who had taken strange wives, and another stands with the Levites in Nehemiah 8 when they “caused the people to understand the law.” In Nehemiah 12 the name is among the priests who go up with trumpets as the singers “sang loud.” Jeremiah mentions a Maaseiah as the father of Zephaniah the priest, and another as grandfather of Baruch and Seraiah. Each is a short mention, so this is a name to notice and not a story to follow. Nehemiah 8 is the warmest of the scenes.

11 verses

Ezra

Ezra 10:18

And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

Ezra 10:21

And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

Ezra 10:22

And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 8:4

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

Nehemiah 8:7

Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

Nehemiah 12:41

And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

Nehemiah 12:42

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21:1

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

Jeremiah 29:25

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

Jeremiah 32:12

And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah 51:59

The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

The work of Jehovah. (1.) One of the Levites whom David appointed as porter for the ark (1 Chr. 15:18, 20).

(2.) One of the “captains of hundreds” associated with Jehoiada in restoring king Jehoash to the throne (2 Chr. 23:1).

(3.) The “king’s son,” probably one of the sons of king Ahaz, killed by Zichri in the invasion of Judah by Pekah, king of Israel (2 Chr. 28:7).

(4.) One who was sent by king Josiah to repair the temple (2 Chr. 34:8). He was governor (Heb. sar, rendered elsewhere in the Authorized Version “prince,” “chief captain,” chief ruler”) of Jerusalem.

(5.) The father of the priest Zephaniah (Jer. 21:1; 37:3).

Read the full entry

(6.) The father of the false prophet Zedekiah (Jer. 29:21).

Maase’iah, refuge is Jehovah, a priest, the father of Neriah (Jer. 32:12; 51:59).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(work of the Lord), the name of four persons who had married foreign wives. In the time of Ezra,

(1.) A descendant of Jeshua the priest. (Ezra 10:18)

(2.) A priest, of the sons of Harim. (Ezra 10:21)

(3.) A priest, of the sons of Pashur. (Ezra 10:22)

(4.) One of the laymen, a descendant of Pahath-moab. (Ezra 10:30)

(5.) The father of Azariah. (Nehemiah 3:23)

(6.) One of those who stood on the right hand of Ezra when he read the law to the people. (Nehemiah 8:4)

(7.) A Levite who assisted on the same occasion. (Nehemiah 8:7)

(8.) One of the heads of the people whose descendants signed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:25)

Read the full entry

(9.) Son of Baruch the descendant of Pharez the son of Judah, (Nehemiah 11:5)

(10.) A Benjamite, ancestor of Sallu. (Nehemiah 11:7)

(11.) Two priests of this name are mentioned, (Nehemiah 12:41,42) as taking part in the musical service which accompanied the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem under Ezra. One of them is probably the same as No. 6.

(12.) Father of Zephaniah, who was a priest in the reign of Zedekiah. (Jeremiah 21:1; 29:25; 37:3)

(13.) Father of Zedekiah the false prophet. (Jeremiah 29:21)

(14.) One of the Levites of the second rank, appointed by David to sound "with psaltries on Alamoth." (1 Chronicles 15:18,20)

(15.) The son of Adaiah, and one of the captains of hundreds in the reign of Joash king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 23:1)

(16.) An officer of high rank in the reign of Uzziah. (2 Chronicles 26:11) He was probably a Levite, comp: (1 Chronicles 23:4) and engaged in a semi-military capacity.

(17.) The "king’s son," killed by Zichri the Ephraimitish hero in the invasion of Judah by Pekah king of Israel, during the reign of Ahaz. (2 Chronicles 28:7)

(18.) The governor of Jerusalem in the reign of Josiah. (2 Chronicles 34:8)

(19.) The son of Shallum, a Levite of high rank in the reign of Jehoiakim. (Jeremiah 35:4) comp, 1Chr 9:19

(20.) A priest; ancestor of Baruch and Seraiah, the sons of Neriah. (Jeremiah 32:12; 51:59)