Temah was the head of a family of temple servants (Nethinim) who returned from Babylonian exile. The name appears in the parallel lists in Ezra 2:53 and Nehemiah 7:55, among families of returned servants attached to the temple. These Nethinim ('given ones') were temple workers who assisted the Levites with menial tasks. The name Temah occurs only in these genealogical contexts, identifying a family lineage among the servant class rather than priests or Levites. Their inclusion in return lists shows the restoration community's attention to preserving all levels of temple personnel.