Holy Bible - Obsidian Study Guide

Amram

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Amram

Overview

  • Testament: Old
  • Role: Father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; a leader of the tribe of Levi
  • Family: Son of Kohath; grandson of Levi; husband of Jochebed; father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
  • Key Books: Exodus, Numbers

Biography

Amram was a Levite of the clan of Kohath, making him the grandson of Levi and the great-grandson of Jacob. He married his father’s sister Jochebed — a union later prohibited by the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18:12) — and together they became the parents of three of the most significant figures in Israel’s history: Miriam, Aaron, and Moses.

The context of Amram’s life was the brutal Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites. When Pharaoh issued the decree to throw all Hebrew male infants into the Nile, Amram and Jochebed defied the edict in an act of faith. Hebrews 11:23 commends Moses’ parents — which includes Amram — for hiding their son for three months because “they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” This parental courage, rooted in faith, preserved the life of Israel’s greatest deliverer.

According to Exodus 6:20, Amram lived 137 years. The genealogy of Exodus 6 establishes his Levitical credentials carefully, situating him and his family within the priestly tribe before Israel’s formal religious institutions are established. The Kohathites, Amram’s clan, would later be entrusted with carrying the most sacred objects of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:1–20).

Numbers 3:27–28 lists the Amramites as a sub-clan within Kohath, responsible for the most holy priestly duties. Numbers 26:59 specifically names Jochebed as Amram’s wife and lists all three children. Amram’s family thus became the fountainhead of both the Mosaic (prophetic-legislative) and Aaronic (priestly) streams of Israelite religion.

Key Events

  • Born into the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi (Exodus 6:16–18)
  • Married his aunt Jochebed (Exodus 6:20)
  • Father of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59)
  • Credited with hiding infant Moses in defiance of Pharaoh’s decree (Hebrews 11:23)

Relationships

Important Verses

  • Exodus 6:20
  • Numbers 26:59
  • Hebrews 11:23

Cross-References

  • Exodus 6 - Genealogy establishing Amram’s Levitical descent
  • Numbers 3, 26 - Amramite clan listed among Levitical assignments
  • Hebrews 11 - Amram and Jochebed commended for faith in hiding Moses

Notes

  • Amram’s act of hiding Moses against Pharaoh’s edict is explicitly cited in Hebrews as an act of faith
  • His three children — Moses, Aaron, and Miriam — together led Israel out of Egypt, arguably making Amram’s family the most consequential in all the Old Testament
  • The Kohathite assignment to carry the ark, table, lampstand, and altars (Numbers 4) extended Amram’s family legacy into Israel’s worship life for generations

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