Lexical Summary
Tebalyahu: Tebaliah
Original Word:טְבַלְיָהוּ
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Tbalyahuw
Pronunciation:tib-beh-lah-YAH-hoo
Phonetic Spelling:(teb-al-yaw'-hoo)
KJV: Tebaliah
NASB:Tebaliah
Word Origin:[fromH2881 (טָּבַל - dip) andH3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]
1. Jah has dipped
2. Tebaljah, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Tebaliah
Fromtabal andYahh; Jah has dipped; Tebaljah, an Israelite -- Tebaliah.
see HEBREWtabal
see HEBREWYahh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
tabal and
YahDefinition"Yah has dipped," an Isr.
NASB TranslationTebaliah (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(
hath dipped, i.e.
purified) — name of one of the porters, line of Merari
1 Chronicles 26:11 (
L ).
II. (perhaps to be assumed as √ of following; compare Ethiopic
wind about, wrap up; Assyrian‰ublu,turban, Dl in Baer's Ezechxii).
Topical Lexicon
IdentityTebaliah is a son of Hosah the Merarite and a Levitical gatekeeper during the reign of King David.
Scriptural Reference
1 Chronicles 26:11 – “Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, and Zechariah the fourth; the sons and relatives of Hosah were thirteen in all.”
Historical Context
The chronicler records David’s reorganization of Levitical duties, including the gatekeepers who safeguarded the entrances of the sanctuary (1 Chronicles 23–26). Hosah’s household is listed among the custodians stationed on the west side of the temple complex (1 Chronicles 26:10). Tebaliah stands in the third position among four sons, indicating both familial hierarchy and assigned watch rotations.
Levitical Ministry
Gatekeepers protected the sanctity of worship by regulating access to holy precincts, safeguarding treasuries, and supervising temple chambers (1 Chronicles 9:22–24; 26:20–22). Their role paralleled the priestly calling to holiness, requiring readiness, discernment, and faithfulness (Numbers 3:36–37). Tebaliah, as a Merarite, also shared ancestral responsibility for transporting and maintaining the heavy structural elements of the tabernacle in earlier generations (Numbers 4:29–33).
Theological Significance
The placement of Tebaliah within the gatekeeping corps illustrates the seamless continuity between worship, holiness, and service. His name, testifying to divine cleansing, echoes the spiritual prerequisite that all who draw near to God’s dwelling must be purified (Psalm 24:3–4). His ministry anticipates New Covenant realities, where Christ—the ultimate Door (John 10:7)—grants purified access to God, and every believer is called to vigilant stewardship of the church’s spiritual integrity (1 Peter 2:5;Revelation 3:8).
Spiritual Lessons
1. Faithful obscurity: Though Tebaliah appears only once, his silent obedience contributed to Israel’s ordered worship—an encouragement to serve steadfastly even when unnoticed.
2. Generational legacy: Hosah’s household yielded thirteen qualified servants, demonstrating that covenant loyalty can flourish across successive generations (Deuteronomy 6:6–9).
3. Holiness in stewardship: Gatekeeping required spiritual and physical readiness; likewise, modern believers guard doctrine, fellowship, and personal conduct (1 Timothy 6:20; Jude 3).
Related Figures and Themes
• Hosah – patriarch of Tebaliah’s line, exemplifying the Merarite commitment to God’s house.
• Obed-Edom – a fellow gatekeeper whose blessing underscored the privilege of temple proximity (1 Chronicles 26:4–8).
• Temple gatekeepers – foreshadowers of spiritual watchmen in prophetic and apostolic writings (Ezekiel 3:17;Hebrews 13:17).
Forms and Transliterations
טְבַלְיָ֣הוּ טבליהו ṭə·ḇal·yā·hū ṭəḇalyāhū tevalYahu
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