Habaiah (also spelled Hobaiah) appears in Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63 as the head of a priestly family whose members returned from Babylonian exile but were excluded from the priesthood because they could not prove their lineage. The name's meaning is obscure, and textual variants across Hebrew manuscripts and the Septuagint reflect uncertainty about its form. The exclusion highlights the post-exilic community's concern for genealogical purity, especially among those serving at the altar. Their case was held pending resolution by Urim and Thummim.