Who was Zetham in the bible?
Zetham was an Israelite named among the sons of Ladan and later listed over the treasures of Yahweh’s house in 1 Chronicles 23:8 and 26:22.
Family Listing
The setting places Ladan among the Gershonites: “Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei” (1 Chronicles 23:7). Zetham appears with Joel in both Chronicles lists (1 Chronicles 23:8; 26:22).
Learn More →Treasures Oversight
Under the sons of Jehieli, “Zetham, and Joel his brother” were “over the treasures of Yahweh’s house” (1 Chronicles 26:22). This appears in the context of Levitical treasury administration (1 Chronicles 26:20-22).
Learn More →Zetham was an Israelite named in the genealogical and service lists of 1 Chronicles, connected with the Levites from the line of Gershon through Ladan. His name (זֵתָם, Zetham) is presented in lexicon material as apparently a variation related to “Zeythan (זֵיתָן),” rendered “Zethan,” also identified as an Israelite.
Zetham in Scripture
Zetham appears in 1 Chronicles within a setting that organizes Levites and their duties. The context introduces how the Levites were arranged by ancestral lines:
“David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” (1 Chronicles 23:6, WEB)
Within the line of Gershon, Ladan is named, and Zetham is listed among Ladan’s sons:
“Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.” (1 Chronicles 23:7, WEB)
“The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.” (1 Chronicles 23:8, WEB)
In this passage, Zetham is presented as one of three sons of Ladan, alongside “Jehiel the chief” and “Joel.” The immediate neighboring verses continue to enumerate related family heads within Ladan’s wider clan structure (including Shimei’s sons) and so situate Zetham inside a broader list of Levitical households:
“The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.” (1 Chronicles 23:9, WEB)
Later in 1 Chronicles, Zetham is mentioned again in a context focused on “the treasures of God’s house” and “the treasures of the dedicated things.” The section begins with an assignment of oversight:
“Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of God’s house and over the treasures of the dedicated things.” (1 Chronicles 26:20, WEB)
Then the text returns specifically to Ladan in the Gershonite line and traces a connection through a figure named Jehieli:
“The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ households belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli.” (1 Chronicles 26:21, WEB)
Immediately after this, Zetham is named again—now in relation to Jehieli—and he is associated with oversight of the treasures of Yahweh’s house:
“The sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of Yahweh’s house.” (1 Chronicles 26:22, WEB)
In this narrative flow, Zetham and Joel are presented as brothers and as appointed “over the treasures of Yahweh’s house.” The surrounding verses continue listing other Levitical groups and officials connected to the treasury administration:
“Of the Amramites, of the Izharites, of the Hebronites, of the Uzzielites:” (1 Chronicles 26:23, WEB)
“and Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler over the treasures.” (1 Chronicles 26:24, WEB)
Within the chapter’s broader accounting, Zetham is thus one named figure among several Levites associated with the organization and oversight of sacred resources, but the verse gives his specific function succinctly: he (with Joel) was “over the treasures of Yahweh’s house.”
Name and Meaning
The name is written in Hebrew as זֵתָם and transliterated Zetham, with the pronunciation given as zay-thawm’. Lexicon material describes it as apparently a variation related to Strong’s H2133 and notes a component form, “Zeythan (זֵיתָן),” rendered “Zethan,” identified as an Israelite; in the same gloss, Zetham himself is identified as an Israelite.
Observation
Across his two mentions, Zetham is consistently placed within Gershonite-Ladanite lines (1 Chronicles 23:6–8; 26:21–22) and is specifically connected to temple treasury oversight: “Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of Yahweh’s house” (1 Chronicles 26:22).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Zetham mean?
Zetham is a name meaning “Zetham,” identified as an Israelite.
How many times does Zetham appear in the Bible?
Zetham appears 2 times.
Who was Zetham in the Bible?
Zetham is identified as an Israelite. He is listed among the sons of Ladan in 1 Chronicles 23:8.
What role is Zetham mentioned as having?
In 1 Chronicles 26:22, Zetham is named among the sons of Jehieli and is described as being “over the treasures of Yahweh’s house.”
Explore Further
If you found this page about Zetham interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
