Heman the Ezrahite

Heman the Ezrahite (Hebrew: הֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִי‎ Hēmān hā’Ezrāḥī) is the author of Psalm 88 in the Hebrew Bible, according to the Psalm's colophon.

B. Bava Batra connects the name Heman to the semitic root אמנ (ʔ-m-n) meaning "trusted,"^[1] while CYDA speculates it is from נתן (n-t-n) and means "given."^[2] It is found sixteen times in the New International Version of the Bible.^[3] The ethnonym is sometimes understood to mean "of Zerah," with the aleph prosthetic,^[4] to mean "of Ezrah," or, alternatively, to mean "the native" who founded a tradition of bards.^[5]

Heman the Ezrahite may be one of the three Levites assigned by King David to be ministers of music. This Heman was a grandson of Samuel the prophet^[6] who went on to become King David's seer and to have fourteen sons and three daughters.^[7]

^ "Bava Batra 15a:10". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
^ "Chomat Anakh on I Kings 5:11:1". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
^ "BibleGateway.com - Keyword Search". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
^ "Rashi on Psalms 88:1:4". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
^ "Ibn Ezra on Psalms 88:1:2". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
^ 1 Chronicles 6:33–34
^ 1 Chronicles 25:5

[1] "Bava Batra 15a:10". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.

[2] "Chomat Anakh on I Kings 5:11:1". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.

[3] "BibleGateway.com - Keyword Search". Biblegateway.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.

[4] "Rashi on Psalms 88:1:4". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.

[5] "Ibn Ezra on Psalms 88:1:2". Sefaria.org. Retrieved 2022-05-13.

[6] 1 Chronicles 6:33–34

[7] 1 Chronicles 25:5

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