Who was Ammihud in the Bible?

Ammihud was the father of Elishama, who served as the leader and representative of the tribe of Ephraim during the Israelites' journey in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt (Numbers 1:10). He is mentioned in genealogical lists, establishing the lineage of an important tribal leader.

Why is Ammihud significant?

Ammihud's significance comes entirely through his son, Elishama. As the father of the tribal leader of Ephraim, Ammihud represents an important ancestral link in one of the most prominent tribes of Israel, which later became a leading kingdom in the north.

What does the name Ammihud mean?

The name Ammihud is Hebrew and means 'my people are glorious' or 'my kinsman is majestic.' This name reflects the hope and dignity associated with the people of Israel, fitting for the father of a major tribal leader.

Ammihud

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleLeaderFather

Ammihud was the father of Elishama, the leader of the tribe of Ephraim during the wilderness journey.

Ammihud

Biography

Ammihud was the father of Elishama, the appointed leader and military commander of the tribe of Ephraim during Israel's wilderness journey (Numbers 1:10; 2:18). Elishama led a tribal contingent of forty thousand five hundred men according to the census recorded in Numbers 1, and he was responsible for offering the tribal dedication gift at the consecration of the tabernacle (Numbers 7:48-53). Through Elishama, Ammihud was also ancestrally connected to the broader Ephraimite tradition that would produce Joshua, Israel's future military leader who succeeded Moses (Numbers 13:8). The name Ammihud, meaning 'my people are glorious', befits someone whose son held one of the most prominent military leadership positions in the Ephraimite tradition.

Significance

Ammihud's importance is bound up with his son Elishama's central role in Israelite tribal organization during the wilderness period. As the father of the Ephraimite commander, Ammihud represents the generational faithfulness that produced capable leaders for Israel's most formative period of national development. Ephraim occupied a position of special honor among the tribes, Jacob had deliberately elevated Ephraim above his older brother Manasseh (Genesis 48:19), making Elishama's leadership especially significant. Ammihud's legacy thus reaches forward through the founding institutions of the tribal confederacy and through the broader narrative of Ephraimite leadership in Israel's history.

Verse Appearances (6)

Numbers

Numbers 1:10 Numbers 2:18 Numbers 7:48 Numbers 7:53 Numbers 10:22

1Chr

1Chr 7:26

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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