Amram
Amram was the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and a member of the tribe of Levi.
Biography
Amram was a descendant of Levi through Kohath, identified in Exodus 6:18-20 as the husband of Jochebed and the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, three of the most pivotal figures in Israel's history. He lived during Israel's prolonged sojourn in Egypt, a time of bitter enslavement under Pharaoh's oppressive decrees. Numbers 26:59 provides additional genealogical detail, and Hebrews 11:23 alludes to the faith of Moses' parents in hiding their infant son for three months. Amram lived 137 years according to Exodus 6:20. Though he appears in relatively few verses, the household he and Jochebed established was the nursery of Israel's deliverance.
Significance
Amram's significance in redemptive history lies chiefly in his role as father to Moses and Aaron, the twin pillars of Israel's exodus from Egypt. The faith he and Jochebed exercised in defying Pharaoh's infanticide decree (Hebrews 11:23) demonstrates that God's plan of liberation was advanced through parental courage and conviction. Amram also represents the continuity of the Levitical line that would carry Israel's priestly and worship traditions across centuries. His descendants Moses and Aaron together embodied prophetic proclamation and priestly mediation, foreshadowing the unified office fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ, the great Prophet, Priest, and King.
Verse Appearances (13)
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]