Bible Dictionaries
Tobiah

Holman Bible Dictionary

(toh bi' uh) Personal name meaning, “Yah is good.” 1. One of the major adversaries to Nehemiah's rebuilding efforts at Jerusalem, Tobiah was a practicing Jew who lived in a residence chamber in the Temple. He is called an “Ammonite” (Nehemiah 2:10 ,Nehemiah 2:10,2:19 ) probably because his family fled to that territory at the destruction of Jerusalem. He enjoyed aristocratic favor and had the title “servant” bestowed on him by the Persian ruler. He opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem because it would weaken his political authority in the area. Tobiah allied with Sanballat and Geshem in trying to thwart Nehemiah.

2. A returned exile who apparently brought a gift of gold from Babylon for the Jerusalem community. Zechariah used him as a witness for his crowning of Joshua, the high priest, and to preserve the crowns in the Temple (Zechariah 6:9-14 ).

3. Ancestor of clan who returned from Exile but could not show they were Israelites (Ezra 2:60 )