Imnah
Imnah was a son of Asher and the ancestor of the Imnite clan within the tribe of Asher.
Biography
Imnah was the firstborn son of Asher, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and therefore a grandson of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Zilpah (Genesis 46:17; Numbers 26:44; 1 Chronicles 7:30). He is listed among those who descended into Egypt with the household of Jacob, and his lineage gave rise to the Imnite clan, one of the recognized sub-clans within the tribe of Asher enumerated in the Mosaic census records (Numbers 26:44). The tribe of Asher was later allotted a coastal territory in northern Canaan, and Imnah's descendants would have formed part of that tribal inheritance stretching toward Phoenicia.
Significance
As firstborn of Asher, Imnah stands at the head of a tribal subdivision that participated in the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His inclusion in the genealogical and census records of Numbers 26 reflects the meticulous preservation of tribal identity that was essential to Israel's social and theological structure. The perpetuation of clan names like the Imnites across centuries demonstrates how God honored his promise to multiply the descendants of the patriarchs, grounding redemptive history in concrete family lineages.
Verse Appearances (3)
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]