סוֹטַי
𐤎𐤅𐤈𐤉
Sotay
H5479 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Sotai, a proper name referring to a member or descendant of a group listed among the Nethinim (temple servants) who returned from Babylonian exile; the name is likely derived from a root meaning 'to rove' or 'wander,' possibly implying 'wanderer' or 'rover' as a patronymic or clan designation. In biblical records, it occurs exclusively as a family or clan name and does not function as a common noun.
Semantic Range
Sotai (proper name), patronymic for a family among the Nethinim, servant group in postexilic Jerusalem; possibly 'descendant of a wanderer' (if literal root is intended)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root שׂוּט (šût), meaning 'to rove, go about, wander,' with the form סוֹטַי (Sotai) constructed as a patronymic or designation for a family or household, possibly signifying 'descendant of the wanderer.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
סוֹטַי appears only in post-exilic lists (Ezra 2:55; Nehemiah 7:57) among the Nethinim, a group of temple servants distinct from priests and Levites, whose precise origins are debated but are generally associated with non-Israelite heritage or status as temple laborers. The term is used strictly as a proper name and does not bear independent lexical value outside this referential use. English translations regularly render the name as 'Sotai' or 'Sotai's descendants,' though later translations sometimes render the group as 'the sons of Sotai.' The underlying root שׂוּט, which elsewhere means 'to roam' or 'to go about,' does not necessarily indicate anything about the social or religious status of the Nethinim in this context. The word offers a window into the naming conventions and ethnographic composition of the postexilic Israelite community; the use and frequency of such names suggest both continuity and transformation in group identities after exile.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שׂוּט; roving; Sotai, one of the Nethinim; Sotai.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂוט (š-w-ṭ) — to rove, wander, go about
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7750 | שׂוּט | and roaming ones of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5479-01 |
סֹטַ֥י | sotay | HNp |
Sotai | Wanderer-descendant | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5479-01 |
Ezra 2:55 | סֹטַ֥י | sotay | HNp |
Sotai | Wanderer-descendant |
H5479-01 |
Nehemiah 7:57 | סוֹטַ֥י | sotay | HNp |
Sotai | Wanderer-descendant |