Who was Imri in the Bible?

Imri was the father of Zaccur, a man who helped rebuild the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership. He is only mentioned in this context, and no other details about his life are provided in Scripture (Nehemiah 3:2).

Why is Imri mentioned in the book of Nehemiah?

Imri is mentioned to establish the lineage of his son, Zaccur, who was a significant worker on the Jerusalem wall reconstruction project. This highlights the communal effort and records the families who contributed to this historic restoration (Nehemiah 3:2).

What can we learn from Imri's story?

While Imri himself is not a central figure, his mention teaches that faithfulness can be expressed through family legacy and supporting the next generation's work for God. It shows that even those in supporting roles are remembered in God's historical record.

Imri

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleFather

Imri was the father of Zaccur, who helped rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (Neh.3.2).

Imri

Biography

Imri was the father of Zaccur, one of the workers who participated in the reconstruction of Jerusalem's walls under the leadership of Nehemiah in the mid-fifth century BC. According to Nehemiah 3:2, Zaccur son of Imri repaired a section of the wall adjacent to the builders from Jericho. While Imri himself is not described as a direct participant in the rebuilding project, his son's involvement places him within the network of Judean families who returned from Babylonian captivity and committed to restoring the holy city. The name Imri may reflect a variant of the Hebrew root meaning 'to speak' or could be a shortened form of a longer theophoric name.

Significance

Imri's significance lies in his role as the father of a man who answered the call to rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah 3 presents the wall reconstruction as a communal act of covenant faithfulness, with families and clans each taking responsibility for their assigned sections. In this context, Imri represents the generation of returned exiles whose children translated the hope of restoration into tangible action. His legacy is built not in his own deeds but in a son who labored to restore what had been broken, a reminder that faithful parenting carries its own form of lasting impact in God's redemptive story.

Verse Appearances (1)

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 3:2

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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