NETOPHAH

(Ne·toʹphah) [dropping]; Netophathites (Ne·tophʹa·thites).

A small village of Judah probably located at Khirbet Bedd Faluh, about two and a half miles (4 kilometers) S-SE of Bethlehem. The Bible concerns itself primarily with the inhabitants, who, at first, were apparently related to those who settled in Bethlehem.—1 Chron. 2:54.

Among the Netophathites were David’s mighty men Maharai and Heleb (Heled; Heldai), both of whom became heads of army divisions. (2 Sam. 23:8, 28, 29; 1 Chron. 11:26, 30; 27:13, 15) Some Netophathites were left in Judah after the general deportation to Babylon, and they supported Governor Gedaliah. (2 Ki. 25:23; Jer. 40:8) A number of Netophathite descendants of those carried off to Babylon returned with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E. (Ezra 2:1, 2, 22; Neh. 7:26) Some Levites lived among the settlements of the Netophathites and they came to Jerusalem for the inauguration of the rebuilt wall.—1 Chron. 9:14, 16; Neh. 12:27, 28.