AMARIAH

(Am·a·riʹah) [said or promised by Jehovah].

1. A priestly descendant of Aaron’s son Eleazar through Phinehas; son of Meraioth; father of Ahitub; grandfather of Zadok, who served as a secondary priest during the reign of David and high priest during the reign of Solomon. (1 Chron. 6:7, 52) It cannot be stated definitely that Amariah officiated as high priest, since the office temporarily switched to the house of Eli during his period.

2. A Levite descendant of Kohath’s son Hebron, listed in David’s reorganization of temple service.—1 Chron. 23:1, 12, 19; 24:23.

3. Chief priest “for every matter of Jehovah,” especially legal cases, during Jehoshaphat’s reign.—2 Chron. 19:11.

4. Another descendant of Eleazar who lived at a later time than No. 1 above. Son of Azariah and father of another Ahitub.—1 Chron. 6:11; Ezra 7:3.

5. A Levite who assisted in distributing the tithes to the priests in their cities during the reign of Hezekiah.—2 Chron. 31:14, 15.

6. Son of Hezekiah (probably the king of Judah) and great-grandfather to the prophet Zephaniah.—Zeph. 1:1.

7. One of the principal priests returning from Babylon with Zerubbabel, 537 B.C.E. (Neh. 12:1, 2, 7) In the days of Governor Nehemiah there was a ‘paternal house’ of priests by his name.—12:12, 13, 26.

8. A descendant of Binnui; one of those who sent away their pagan wives and sons in the days of Ezra.—Ezra 10:10-12, 38, 42, 44.

9. A priest, or the forefather of one, who attested to the “trustworthy arrangement” during Nehemiah’s governorship. (Neh. 9:38; 10:1, 3) He would have been more than 112 years old if the same as No. 7 above.

10. Ancestor of residents of Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s time; of the tribe of Judah.—Neh. 11:4.