This Aramaic term appears in Ezra 7:24, where King Artaxerxes' decree exempts temple personnel from taxation. The Nethinim ('given ones') were temple servants, likely descendants of foreign captives dedicated to sanctuary service. The name derives from the verb 'to give,' indicating they were given or assigned to the Levites to assist with menial tasks—drawing water, cutting wood, and maintaining the temple precinct. The Aramaic form here represents a loanword from Hebrew, maintaining continuity with pre-exilic terminology for this servant class.