Uzzi
Uzzi was a high priest in the lineage of Eleazar, son of Aaron.
Biography
Uzzi was a high priest in the line of Eleazar, son of Aaron, appearing in the priestly genealogy preserved in 1 Chronicles 6:5-6 and Ezra 7:4. As a descendant of Eleazar, the son of Aaron who succeeded his father in the high priesthood (Numbers 20:28), Uzzi occupied a position of considerable sacred authority. He appears at a transitional point in the history of the Israelite priesthood, serving during a period when the high priestly office passed through multiple hands between the era of the Judges and the establishment of the monarchy. Later Jewish tradition, though not Scripture itself, associated his period with a transfer of the high priesthood away from the line of Eleazar temporarily to that of Ithamar.
Significance
Uzzi's place in the Aaronic genealogy highlights the theological importance of priestly continuity in Israel's covenant life. The meticulous preservation of his name in both Chronicles and Ezra demonstrates that the post-exilic community viewed an unbroken priestly lineage as essential to legitimate worship. His position in the genealogical chain connecting Aaron to Ezra illustrates how God maintained his ordained institutions across centuries of tumult. This continuity in the Aaronic priesthood anticipates the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, whose eternal and perfect ministry fulfills all that Israel's succession of priests foreshadowed (Hebrews 4:14).
Verse Appearances (4)
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]