Who was Zichri in the Bible?

Zichri was a Benjamite, recorded as a son of Shimei and a descendant of Shaharaim (1 Chronicles 8:19). His mention is primarily genealogical, establishing his family line within the tribe of Benjamin.

Why is Zichri mentioned in the Bible?

Zichri is listed to preserve the genealogical record of the tribe of Benjamin, showing the continuity of the family line from Shaharaim. These records were crucial for establishing tribal heritage and identity in Israel (1 Chronicles 8:1-40).

Are there any stories or key events about Zichri?

No specific stories or events about Zichri are recorded in the Bible. His significance lies solely in his inclusion in the genealogy, which highlights the importance God places on every individual within His covenant people.

Zichri

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleSon

Zichri was a son of Shimei, a Benjamite, and a descendant of Shaharaim (1Ch.8.19).

Zichri

Biography

Zichri, son of Shimei, was a Benjamite descended from the line of Shaharaim, listed in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 8:19 among the heads of ancestral families in Benjamin. He belongs to a cluster of Benjamite names associated with the families who maintained tribal identity and ancestral records through the turbulent periods of the monarchy and exile. Shimei appears in this section of the Benjamite genealogy as one of Jeroham's sons, making Zichri a member of a multi-generational family unit. The name Zichri itself, meaning "remembered" or "memorable," was common enough in Israel that multiple distinct individuals bear it across different texts. His mention here preserves the memory of a family head whose descendants would have constituted a recognized household within the tribe of Benjamin.

Significance

Like his namesake in the neighboring verse of the same genealogical chapter, this Zichri represents the Chronicler's meticulous concern for preserving the full genealogical record of Benjamin. In the theology of Chronicles, the genealogies are not mere historical curiosities but are declarations of covenantal identity. Benjamin was the tribe through which the Davidic monarchy was maintained in Jerusalem after the northern schism, and its families formed a vital component of the returned community. Preserving the names of family heads like Zichri was an act of communal memory that grounded the postexilic community in its ancestral heritage, affirming continuity with the past and legitimacy in the present as inheritors of God's covenant promises to their forebears.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 8:19

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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