Who was Ozem in the Bible?

Ozem was one of the sons of Jesse, making him a brother of King David. He is mentioned in the genealogical lists of David's family in 1 Chronicles 2:15.

Why is Ozem mentioned in the Bible?

Ozem is mentioned to establish the lineage of King David from the tribe of Judah. His inclusion highlights God's faithfulness in working through a specific family line, as seen in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-6).

What did Ozem do in the Bible?

The Bible does not record any specific events or actions from Ozem's life. His significance lies solely in his familial relationship as one of David's brothers, listed among Jesse's eight sons in 1 Chronicles 2:13-15.

Ozem

Old TestamentUnited MonarchyMaleBrother

Ozem was one of David's brothers, a son of Jesse.

Ozem

Biography

Ozem was the sixth son of Jesse and thus an older brother of David, Israel's greatest king. He appears in the genealogical record of 1 Chronicles 2:15, which lists Jesse's sons in order. The Chronicler names seven sons of Jesse in this passage, though 1 Samuel 16:10-11 indicates Jesse had eight sons, a discrepancy that scholars have addressed through various harmonization proposals, including the possibility that one son died young and was omitted from the later genealogy. Ozem grew up in Bethlehem during a transitional period in Israel's history, as the nation moved from the failed kingship of Saul toward the anointed dynasty of David. While Ozem himself plays no recorded role in the narratives of David's rise to power, his place in Jesse's household makes him part of the immediate family from which God chose Israel's shepherd-king.

Significance

Ozem's significance lies primarily in his membership in the family of Jesse, the household from which God selected David to establish an eternal dynasty. The story of David's anointing in 1 Samuel 16 emphasizes that God bypassed all of Jesse's older sons, including Ozem, to choose the youngest, demonstrating the divine principle that God's choices do not follow human expectations of primogeniture or outward appearance. Ozem's quiet presence in the genealogy reminds readers that God's redemptive purposes often pass through ordinary families, and that not every member of a chosen household receives a prominent calling. His inclusion preserves the completeness of the Davidic family record that leads ultimately to the Messiah.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 2:15

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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