A personal name appearing in the lists of returning exiles in Ezra 2:46 and Nehemiah 7:48. Salmai was the ancestor of a family of Nethinim—temple servants who assisted the Levites. The name has textual variants (Ketiv and Qere forms differ), and the Septuagint offers varied transliterations (Samaan, Selamai), reflecting uncertainty about the exact form. The etymology is obscure, though some relate it to clothing or garment roots. These genealogical lists served to verify the legitimacy of returnees and their right to serve in the rebuilt temple. Salmai's descendants were among those who reestablished temple worship after the Babylonian exile.