Levi
Levi, son of Simeon, an ancestor of Jesus mentioned in Luke's genealogy (Lk.3.29).
Biography
Levi son of Simeon appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:29) as an ancestor in the extended lineage between the post-exilic period and the New Testament era. He is positioned between Simeon and Mattathias in the genealogical sequence. Like many of the names in this section of Luke's genealogy, Levi son of Simeon belongs to the intertestamental period, the centuries between Malachi and Matthew for which no canonical historical narrative exists. His era is associated with the Divided Monarchy period according to the existing classification, though his genealogical placement in Luke suggests a later era. The name Levi, borne by Jacob's third son and the ancestor of Israel's priestly tribe, was a name of honor frequently given within Jewish families. This Levi is one of several so named in Luke's genealogy, reflecting both the veneration of ancestral naming and the preservation of family records across generations.
Significance
Levi son of Simeon occupies a place in the intertestamental section of Luke's genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:29), an era of biblical silence that was nonetheless filled with the steady work of divine providence. His presence in the genealogy affirms that God's covenant purposes did not pause during the four centuries between the Old and New Testaments. Every ancestor named in Luke's list, including this otherwise unknown Levi, represents a generation through whom God preserved the messianic lineage intact from Abraham to Jesus. Theologically, this Levi reminds readers that faithfulness during periods of apparent divine silence is as essential to the redemptive story as faithfulness during times of prophetic activity. The lineage of the Messiah was maintained through ordinary, faithful families across every era.
Verse Appearances (1)
Luke
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]