Pochereth

At a Glance

A proper-name alias in the return lists, best handled under the full compound form Pochereth-hazzebaim.

Key Points

• Appears in Ezra 2:57 and Nehemiah 7:59
• A proper name, not a doctrine or concept
• Redirect to the full compound entry

Description

Pochereth is a biblical proper-name element preserved in the postexilic return lists, most notably in the compound form Pochereth-hazzebaim (Ezra 2:57; Neh. 7:59). Scripture does not attach a distinct doctrinal teaching to the name. For dictionary purposes, the standalone form is best handled as a redirect or alias to the full compound entry rather than as an independent theological headword.

Biblical Context

The name appears among the groups associated with the return from exile, in lists that preserve family and servant-line identifications important to the restored community.

Historical Context

These lists reflect the postexilic period when returned exiles recorded ancestral and household affiliations for community membership and temple-related ordering.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Ancient Jewish genealogical and administrative lists often preserved compound names for families, clans, or service groups; Pochereth belongs to that kind of record rather than to doctrinal vocabulary.

Primary Key Texts

• Ezra 2:57
• Nehemiah 7:59

Original Language Note

The name is transliterated from Hebrew in the compound form Pochereth-hazzebaim; the standalone element Pochereth is not normally treated as an independent theological term.

Theological Significance

Minimal direct theological significance; its value is historical and genealogical, showing the restoration community’s continuity after exile.

Philosophical Explanation

This is an onomastic entry, not a conceptual one. It belongs in a proper-name index because its meaning is tied to identification, not doctrine.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not read doctrinal meaning into the name itself. The biblical texts use it within census or return lists, not as a teaching term.

Major Views

There is no major interpretive debate about the term as a doctrine; the main editorial question is whether it should be indexed independently or redirected to the full compound name.

Doctrinal Boundaries

No doctrine should be derived from the name beyond the historical reliability of the biblical lists in which it appears.

Practical Significance

Useful for readers tracing biblical names, return-list entries, and the composition of the postexilic community.

Related Entries

• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• Genealogies
• Postexilic Period
• Solomon’s Servants

See Also

• Pochereth-hazzebaim
• Return from Exile
• Genealogies