Semakhyahu served as one of the Korahite gatekeepers in the temple service during the post-exilic period. His name is theophoric, combining the verbal root meaning 'to sustain/support' with the divine name Yahweh, thus declaring 'Yahweh has sustained.' Such names often commemorated divine help during difficult circumstances, perhaps the family's survival through exile. The Septuagint renders the name with typical Greek phonetic adjustments.