Who was Amnon in the Bible?

Amnon was a son of Shimon (or Shammah) and a grandson of Reuben, making him a descendant of the tribe of Judah. He is listed in the genealogical records found in 1 Chronicles 4:20.

What is the significance of Amnon in the Bible?

His significance is primarily genealogical, as he is part of the lineage of Judah recorded in 1 Chronicles. This establishes the continuity of the tribe from which King David and, ultimately, Jesus Christ would descend.

What key events happened in Amnon's life?

The Bible does not record specific events from his life beyond his familial lineage. He is mentioned only in the list of descendants in 1 Chronicles 4:20, with no narrative stories attached to him.

Amnon

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon

Amnon was a son of Shimon and a descendant of Judah.

Amnon

Biography

Amnon, son of Shimon, was a man of the tribe of Judah whose name appears in the genealogical records of the Chronicler (1 Chronicles 4:20). He lived during the era of the Divided Monarchy and is listed among the descendants of the Judahite clans as part of the extended tribal genealogy that the author of Chronicles preserves with careful attention. Beyond the bare listing of his name and parentage, no narrative account of his life survives in the biblical text. Like many figures in the genealogical sections of Chronicles, he represents one of the countless individuals through whom the covenant community's continuity was maintained across generations, carrying the tribal heritage of Judah forward through the centuries of the monarchy period.

Significance

Though Amnon son of Shimon lacks the narrative profile of more prominent biblical figures, his inclusion in the Chronicles genealogy of Judah serves an important theological function. The Chronicler's exhaustive genealogical program in 1 Chronicles 1-9 was written for a post-exilic audience seeking to reconstitute Israel's tribal identity and covenant continuity after the devastation of exile. Every name in that list, however obscure, declares that Israel's history has not been erased, that the genealogical thread connecting Abraham to the restored community remains intact. Amnon's presence in this record is a quiet testimony to the truth that each individual life matters within the larger tapestry of God's covenantal faithfulness.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 4:20

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]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources