Netophah, Netophathite

Netophah was a place near Bethlehem in the Old Testament. A Netophathite was someone who came from that place.

Two of David’s thirty mighty warriors came from Netophah (2 Samuel 23:28–29; 1 Chronicles 11:30; 27:13–15). Seraiah, one of the army leaders who met Gedaliah after Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 586 BC, was also a Netophathite (2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8).

Later, 56 men from Netophah returned from exile in Babylon with Zerubbabel and Joshua (Ezra 2:22).

Levites also lived in the villages of the Netophathites (1 Chronicles 9:16). Temple singers came from villages around Jerusalem, including those near Netophah (Nehemiah 12:28). These verses suggest that Netophah was not just a town but part of a larger area or district.

Netophah was likely located near Bethlehem (see 1 Chronicles 2:54; Nehemiah 7:26). We do not know the exact location, but many believe it was at Khirbet Bedd Faluh, about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) southeast of Bethlehem.