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Raamiah

biblical_person theological_term standard

Raamiah is a postexilic Israelite named among the returnees who came back from exile with Zerubbabel.

At a Glance

A man named among the first returnees from Babylon after the exile.

Key Points

Description

Raamiah is a biblical personal name occurring in Ezra 2:2, where he is included among the exiles who returned with Zerubbabel. The entry is a proper name within the restoration narrative, not a theological term. Because Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 contain parallel return lists with some spelling and naming differences, Raamiah is commonly compared with Reelaiah in Nehemiah 7:7. That identification is probable but should be stated cautiously, since the text preserves different forms of the name. Scripture provides no further biographical details.

Biblical Context

Ezra 2 records the names of those who returned from Babylon to Judah under Zerubbabel. Raamiah appears in that list as part of the restored covenant community.

Historical Context

The name belongs to the early Persian-period return from exile, when Jewish survivors came back to rebuild Jerusalem, restore worship, and reestablish life in the land.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Postexilic return lists were important for preserving community identity, family continuity, and the legitimacy of the restored remnant in Judah.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

The Hebrew name is transliterated in English as Raamiah; the parallel list in Nehemiah preserves a related but different form, often rendered Reelaiah.

Theological Significance

Raamiah matters chiefly as part of the biblical record of God preserving a remnant and restoring his people after exile.

Philosophical Explanation

As a proper name, Raamiah illustrates how Scripture grounds theology in historical persons and events, not abstract ideas alone.

Interpretive Cautions

The identification with Reelaiah in Nehemiah 7:7 is likely but not certain. The entry should be treated as a historical proper name, not as a doctrinal category.

Major Views

Most readers understand Raamiah as a returnee listed in Ezra; many also connect him with Reelaiah in the parallel Nehemiah list, while noting the difference in spelling or form.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should not be used to build doctrine. It supports the historical reliability of the returnee lists and the preservation of the remnant theme.

Practical Significance

Raamiah reminds readers that God records individual people in redemptive history and keeps careful covenant account of his people.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Raamiah

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