Pelaliah appears in Nehemiah 11:12 as a priest serving in post-exilic Jerusalem, specifically identified as son of Amzi. The name means something like 'Yahweh has intervened' or 'Yahweh has judged'—theologically rich for a priest whose role involved mediating God's intervention through sacrifice and blessing. These priestly genealogies in Nehemiah document the legitimate restoration of temple service after the exile. Pelaliah represents one family maintaining the authorized priestly line, ensuring that worship in the restored temple was conducted by properly credentialed descendants of Aaron.