A Hebrew name meaning 'work of the LORD' β borne by numerous priests, Levites, and officials in the OT, particularly during the reforms of Josiah, Nehemiah, and Ezra.
The name Maaseiah combines ma'aseh (work/deed) with Yah (the LORD) = 'work of the LORD' or 'whom the LORD made/does.' It is one of the most common priestly names in the OT β appearing over 20 times across Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Chronicles. Significant bearers include a Levite musician in David's service (1 Chronicles 15:18), an officer under King Joash (2 Chronicles 23:1), a governor of Jerusalem under Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:8), and a priest who stood beside Ezra as the Law was read (Nehemiah 8:4).
The frequency of the name Maaseiah in priestly and reform contexts is striking. 'Work of the LORD' was a name that covenant families aspired to give their sons β an expectation that this child would be shaped by divine action and would himself become evidence of God's active work in Israel. Nehemiah 8:4 preserves one of the most evocative scenes in the OT: Ezra standing on a wooden platform, flanked by thirteen men including Maaseiah, reading the Law to all the people. These were men whose names proclaimed 'work of the LORD' β and they participated in one of Israel's greatest spiritual renewals.