Uzzi

At a Glance

A shared Old Testament personal name, most often encountered in genealogical or priestly contexts.

Key Points

• Not a theological concept in itself
• Refers to more than one Old Testament man
• Appears in family, priestly, and tribal records
• Best read in context to identify the specific individual

Description

Uzzi is a Hebrew personal name found in several Old Testament passages and attached to more than one individual, especially within genealogical, priestly, and tribal records. Scripture uses the name in historical and family-line contexts rather than as a distinct theological concept. For that reason, the entry should help readers identify the relevant biblical person in each passage rather than derive doctrine from the name itself. Since multiple men bear the name, the entry is best handled as a biblical-person name with disambiguating value.

Biblical Context

Old Testament genealogies and priestly records preserve the name Uzzi in several different settings. The name appears in passages that trace family continuity, service, and covenant history rather than teaching a distinct doctrine.

Historical Context

In Israel’s record-keeping culture, names in genealogies and tribal lists helped preserve lineage, inheritance, and priestly succession. A shared name such as Uzzi is therefore not unusual and must be read carefully in context.

Jewish and Ancient Context

Second Temple and later Jewish readers would naturally treat names in genealogies as identifiers tied to family, tribe, and office. The name itself is less important than the place each bearer holds within the biblical record.

Primary Key Texts

• 1 Chronicles 6
• Ezra 7
• Nehemiah 11

Secondary Key Texts

• Related genealogical and priestly lists in Chronicles and post-exilic historical books

Original Language Note

The name is Hebrew and is commonly associated with the idea of strength. In biblical interpretation, its identifying function is more important than any proposed name-meaning.

Theological Significance

Uzzi has no doctrinal significance in itself. Its importance is historical and genealogical, helping readers trace priestly and family lines in Scripture.

Philosophical Explanation

Proper names identify real people in historical texts. The meaning of the name may be interesting, but interpretation depends on context, not on the name alone.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not assume every occurrence of Uzzi refers to the same person. Do not build doctrine from the name’s possible meaning. Read each reference in its immediate genealogical or historical setting.

Major Views

No major theological views are attached to the term. The main issue is identifying which individual named Uzzi is in view in a given passage.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should not be used to construct doctrine from onomastic meaning. It is a historical-identification entry, not a theological category.

Practical Significance

It helps Bible readers follow priestly and genealogical lines accurately and avoid confusing different individuals who share the same name.

Related Entries

• Aaronic priesthood
• Chronicles
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• genealogy
• priests

See Also

• Biblical names
• Genealogy
• Priesthood
• Levitical line