Noadiah
Pronounced no-uh-DY-uh
- Meaning
- "Meeting with the LORD; Assembly of God"
- Origin
- Hebrew
Noadiah means "meeting with the LORD" or "assembly of God" in Hebrew. Two figures bear this name — a Levite who helped inventory the temple treasures returning from exile, and a prophetess who opposed Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The prophetess Noadiah is one of the Bible's most intriguing figures. Nehemiah prayed: "My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear." This places Noadiah among those who used prophetic authority to intimidate Nehemiah into stopping the wall's construction. Noadiah's opposition is historically significant because it came from within the prophetic community — not from pagan enemies but from someone who claimed to speak for God. This made her opposition more dangerous than military threats, as it could undermine the people's spiritual confidence. Her story raises important questions about discerning true from false prophecy — a theme that runs throughout Scripture. The fact that her name means "meeting with the LORD" creates a sharp irony: the woman named for divine encounter used her influence against God's purposes.
Spiritual meaning
Noadiah — named 'meeting with the LORD' — warns that not everyone who claims divine authority speaks divine truth. Her story teaches the critical importance of testing prophetic claims against God's revealed purposes.
Related verses (KJV)
"My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear."
Nehemiah 6:14 (KJV) →"Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth... and with them... Noadiah the son of Binnui."
Ezra 8:33 (KJV) →