Aniam is a figure whose name is recorded in the Books of Chronicles, which meticulously preserves the genealogies of the tribes of Israel. His mention places him firmly within the family tree of the tribe of Manasseh, one of the two half-tribes descended from Joseph.
🧬 The Lineage of Manasseh
Aniam belongs to the line of Manasseh’s grandson, Machir. Machir was known as the father of Gilead, who was a powerful and conquering chieftain. The lineage traces back through Shemidah, one of Gilead’s sons:
“And the sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead: And Gilead begat Iezer, and Helek, and Asriel, and Shechem, and Hepher, and Shemida: these were the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.) And the sons of Shemidah were, Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.” (1 Chronicles 7:14, 19, KJV)
In this passage, Aniam is specifically identified as one of the four sons of Shemidah.
📜 Significance in the Chronicles
The recording of names like Aniam in the Book of Chronicles served a vital function for the returning exiles:
- Establishment of Tribal Rights: The genealogies proved the legitimacy of the families returning to Israel after the Babylonian exile, affirming their right to their ancestral lands and tribal inheritance.
- Continuity: Aniam’s inclusion confirms that the family line of Shemidah, and thus the larger tribe of Manasseh, was preserved through the tumultuous periods of the Judges, the monarchy, and the exile.
Aniam, therefore, represents the numerous, unheralded individuals who faithfully maintained their family identity, ensuring that the entire structure of the twelve tribes remained intact for the spiritual and civil restoration of the nation.