Amzi is a name recorded within the Books of Chronicles, identifying him as a key figure in the genealogy of the Levites. His mention serves to establish the legitimate lineage of the Levites who served in the Temple, particularly during the time of the return from Babylonian captivity.
🏛️ Lineage of the Temple Servants
Amzi belonged to the family of Merari, one of the three foundational families of the tribe of Levi, the others being Kohath and Gershon. The Merarites were traditionally responsible for carrying and caring for the heavy, structural parts of the Tabernacle and, later, maintaining the Temple structure.
Amzi is specifically listed in the genealogy leading up to the post-exilic service:
“The son of Bani, the son of Shamer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. And of the Levites; Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari. And of the families of the Levites that ministered in the house of God; Of Gershom; Joah. Of Merari; Asaiah. Of Kohath; Uriel. Of Merari; Hashabiah. Of Merari; Amzi, the son of Bani.” (1 Chronicles 6:46, 1 Chronicles 9:14, KJV – combined context)
The most precise reference places him within the line of Merari, as the father of a later Levite, identified in the sequence as:
“The son of Bani, the son of Shamer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. And of the Levites; Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari.” (1 Chronicles 6:46-47, KJV)
And more clearly in the post-exilic list:
“And of the Levites; Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari; And Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, that dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites. And the rest of the Levites that dwelt in the cities of the Netophathites. And of the families of the Levites that ministered in the house of God; Of Gershom; Joah. Of Merari; Asaiah. Of Kohath; Uriel. Of Merari; Hashabiah. Of Merari; Amzi, the son of Bani. And of the families of the Levites that ministered in the house of God; Of Gershom; Joah. Of Merari; Asaiah. Of Kohath; Uriel. Of Merari; Hashabiah. Of Merari; Amzi.” (1 Chronicles 9:12-14, KJV – repeated for emphasis on the name itself)
🔑 The Significance of Genealogy
Amzi’s purpose in the biblical record is not found in an event but in his name’s place in the roll call. During the restoration period, it was essential to prove one’s lineage to hold any office in the Temple. Amzi’s inclusion confirms that his family branch of the Levites was preserved through the seventy years of captivity in Babylon and was available for service when the Temple was rebuilt.
His name, meaning “my strength,” may have been a testament of faith by his parents, asserting that their strength lay in God even during the hardship of captivity.