Exodus 6 · Numbers 3 · 1 Chronicles 6 · Ezra 7
Priestly Families and the Levites
Levi's sons Gershon, Kohath and Merari, Aaron's priestly line, the high priests and the priests named in the New Testament.
Every priest was a Levite, but not every Levite was a priest. Levi's descendants served the tabernacle in three clans, while the priesthood belonged to Aaron and his sons. Numbers 3:1–10Numbers 3:17–37
The high priest was one priest at a time. Office passed from Aaron to Eleazar, and later Zadok replaced Abiathar. That succession is shown apart from family descent. Numbers 20:25–281 Kings 2:271 Kings 2:35
1 Chronicles 6 gives Eleazar's line to the exile, and Ezra 7 traces Ezra back to Aaron with several generations left out. 1 Chronicles 6:3–15Ezra 7:1–5
Family tree of Levi
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- Parent and child
- Marriage
- Ancestor (generations not all listed)
- Legal or adoptive parent
- Disputed or interpretive
Levi — Son of Jacob and Leah; ancestor of the Levites
Parents
- Leah mother Genesis 29:34Genesis 35:23
- Jacob father Genesis 35:23Genesis 46:11
Children
- Gershon son Genesis 46:11Exodus 6:161 Chronicles 6:1
- Kohath son Genesis 46:11Exodus 6:161 Chronicles 6:1
- Merari son Genesis 46:11Exodus 6:161 Chronicles 6:1
- Jochebed daughter Numbers 26:59
"The daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt". Exodus 6:20 calls her Amram's "father's sister", that is, Kohath's sister.
Brothers and sisters
- Reuben brother through their parent Leah
- Simeon brother through their parent Leah
- Judah brother through their parent Leah
- Issachar brother through their parent Leah
- Zebulun brother through their parent Leah
- Dinah sister through their parent Leah
- Dan brother through their parent Jacob
- Naphtali brother through their parent Jacob
- Gad brother through their parent Jacob
- Asher brother through their parent Jacob
- Joseph brother through their parent Jacob
- Benjamin brother through their parent Jacob
Ancestors
- Laban grandparent
- Isaac grandparent
- Rebekah grandparent
- Bethuel 1× great-grandparent
- Abraham 1× great-grandparent
- Sarah 1× great-grandparent
- Nahor 2× great-grandparent
- Milcah 2× great-grandparent
- Terah 2× great-grandparent
- Haran 3× great-grandparent
- Nahor 3× great-grandparent
- Serug 4× great-grandparent
Grandchildren and later descendants
- Libni grandchild
- Shimei grandchild
- Amram grandchild
- Izhar grandchild
- Hebron grandchild
- Uzziel grandchild
- Samuel grandchild
- Mahli grandchild
- Mushi grandchild
- Aaron grandchild
- Moses grandchild
- Miriam grandchild
Tribe, clan and house
- Tribe: Levi the tribe is named after Levi
Descendants as recorded
The line of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:3-15)
Eleazar's line to the exile. Several of these men served as chief priest; the list is genealogical and does not mark who held the office. 1 Chronicles 6:3–15
- Aaron 1 Chronicles 6:3
- Eleazar son of Aaron 1 Chronicles 6:3
- Phinehas son of Eleazar 1 Chronicles 6:4
- Abishua son of Phinehas 1 Chronicles 6:4
- Bukki son of Abishua 1 Chronicles 6:5
- Uzzi son of Bukki 1 Chronicles 6:5
- Zerahiah son of Uzzi 1 Chronicles 6:6
- Meraioth son of Zerahiah 1 Chronicles 6:6
- Amariah son of Meraioth 1 Chronicles 6:7
- Ahitub son of Amariah 1 Chronicles 6:7
- Zadok son of Ahitub 1 Chronicles 6:8
- Ahimaaz son of Zadok 1 Chronicles 6:8
- Azariah son of Ahimaaz 1 Chronicles 6:9
- Johanan son of Azariah 1 Chronicles 6:9
- Azariah son of Johanan 1 Chronicles 6:10
- Amariah son of Azariah 1 Chronicles 6:11
- Ahitub son of Amariah 1 Chronicles 6:11
- Zadok son of Ahitub 1 Chronicles 6:12
- Shallum son of Zadok 1 Chronicles 6:12
- Hilkiah son of Shallum 1 Chronicles 6:13
- Azariah son of Hilkiah 1 Chronicles 6:13
- Seraiah son of Azariah 1 Chronicles 6:14
- Jehozadak son of Seraiah 1 Chronicles 6:14
Ezra's descent from Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5)
A shortened line: compared with 1 Chronicles 6, Ezra 7 leaves out several generations, so "son of" sometimes means descendant. Ezra 7:1–5
- Ezra Ezra 7:1
- Seraiah ancestor of Ezra (generations not listed) Ezra 7:1
Seraiah was chief priest when Jerusalem fell (2 Kings 25:18); "son of" here marks descent.
- Azariah father of Seraiah Ezra 7:1
- Hilkiah father of Azariah Ezra 7:1
- Shallum father of Hilkiah Ezra 7:2
- Zadok father of Shallum Ezra 7:2
- Ahitub father of Zadok Ezra 7:2
- Amariah father of Ahitub Ezra 7:3
- Azariah father of Amariah Ezra 7:3 Interpretive
Matching this Azariah with the Azariah of 1 Chronicles 6:10 is an identification by position in the list.
- Meraioth ancestor of Azariah (generations not listed) Ezra 7:3 Ancestral
Ezra 7:3 passes from Azariah to Meraioth; 1 Chronicles 6:7-10 lists six generations between them.
- Zerahiah father of Meraioth Ezra 7:4
- Uzzi father of Zerahiah Ezra 7:4
- Bukki father of Uzzi Ezra 7:4
- Abishua father of Bukki Ezra 7:5
- Phinehas father of Abishua Ezra 7:5
- Eleazar father of Phinehas Ezra 7:5
- Aaron father of Eleazar Ezra 7:5
People in this line
Brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh, and Israel's first high priest.
Parents: Amram, Jochebed · Spouse: Elisheba · 4 children recorded
Son of Ahimelech; priest with David; removed by Solomon
Parents: Ahimelech
- Abihu priest
Son of Aaron; died offering strange fire
Parents: Aaron, Elisheba
- Abishua priest
Son of Phinehas
Parents: Phinehas · 1 child recorded
- Ahijah priest
Son of Ahitub; priest wearing the ephod in Saul's day
Parents: Ahitub
- Ahimaaz priest
Son of Zadok
Parents: Zadok · 1 child recorded
- Ahimelech priest
Son of Ahitub; priest at Nob who helped David
Parents: Ahitub · 1 child recorded
- Ahitub priest
Son of Amariah and father of Zadok (1 Chronicles 6:7-8); not Ahitub of Eli's house
Parents: Amariah · 1 child recorded
- Ahitub priest
Son of Amariah (1 Chronicles 6:11); the second Ahitub in the list
Parents: Amariah · 1 child recorded
- Ahitub priest
Son of Phinehas son of Eli, brother of Ichabod; not the Ahitub of 1 Chronicles 6
Parents: Phinehas · 2 children recorded
- Amariah priest
Son of Meraioth (1 Chronicles 6:7)
Parents: Meraioth · 1 child recorded
- Amariah priest
Son of Azariah (1 Chronicles 6:11)
Parents: Azariah · 1 child recorded
- Amram Levite
Son of Kohath; father of Aaron, Moses and Miriam
Parents: Kohath · Spouse: Jochebed · 3 children recorded
- Azariah priest
Son of Ahimaaz (1 Chronicles 6:9)
Parents: Ahimaaz · 1 child recorded
- Azariah priest
Son of Johanan; served as priest in Solomon's temple (1 Chronicles 6:10)
Parents: Johanan · 1 child recorded
- Azariah priest
Son of Hilkiah (1 Chronicles 6:13-14)
Parents: Hilkiah · 1 child recorded
- Bukki priest
Son of Abishua
Parents: Abishua · 1 child recorded
- Buzi priest
Father of Ezekiel
1 child recorded
Son of Aaron; high priest after him
Parents: Aaron, Elisheba · 1 child recorded
Priest at Shiloh who judged Israel forty years and raised Samuel.
2 children recorded
- Eliezer Levite
Son of Moses and Zipporah
Parents: Moses, Zipporah
Priest and prophet among the exiles in Babylon who saw visions of God's glory.
Parents: Buzi · Spouse: Ezekiel's wife
Priest and scribe who led returning exiles to Jerusalem and taught the Law of Moses.
Family details not recorded in the cited passages.
- Gershom Levite
Firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah; not Gershon son of Levi
Parents: Moses, Zipporah
- Gershon Levite
Son of Levi; head of the Gershonites
Parents: Levi · 2 children recorded
- Hebron Levite
Son of Kohath
Parents: Kohath
- Heman Levite
Heman the singer, son of Joel son of Samuel
Parents: Joel son of Samuel
High priest under Josiah who found the book of the law; not Hilkiah the father of Jeremiah
Parents: Shallum · 1 child recorded
- Hilkiah priest
Priest of Anathoth, father of Jeremiah; not the high priest Hilkiah
1 child recorded
- Hophni priest
Son of Eli; priest at Shiloh
Parents: Eli
- Ithamar priest
Youngest son of Aaron
Parents: Aaron, Elisheba
- Izhar Levite
Son of Kohath
Parents: Kohath
- Jehozadak priest
Son of Seraiah; went into captivity; father of Joshua the high priest
Parents: Seraiah · 1 child recorded
Prophet called as a youth who warned Judah of judgment before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, and spoke of a new covenant.
Parents: Hilkiah
Priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, who advised him to share the work of judging.
1 child recorded
- Johanan priest
Son of Azariah (1 Chronicles 6:9-10)
Parents: Azariah · 1 child recorded
High priest after the exile, son of Jehozadak; not Joshua son of Nun
Parents: Jehozadak
- Kohath Levite
Son of Levi; head of the Kohathites
Parents: Levi · 4 children recorded
- Libni Levite
Son of Gershon
Parents: Gershon
- Mahli Levite
Son of Merari
Parents: Merari
King of Salem and priest of God Most High who blessed Abram.
Family details not recorded in the cited passages.
- Meraioth priest
Son of Zerahiah
Parents: Zerahiah · 1 child recorded
- Merari Levite
Son of Levi; head of the Merarites
Parents: Levi · 2 children recorded
Prophet who led Israel out of Egypt, received the Law at Sinai and guided the people through the wilderness.
Parents: Amram, Jochebed, Pharaoh's daughter · Spouses: Zipporah, The Cushite woman Moses married · 2 children recorded
- Mushi Levite
Son of Merari
Parents: Merari
- Nadab priest
Firstborn son of Aaron; died offering strange fire; not Nadab king of Israel
Parents: Aaron, Elisheba
Son of Eleazar; zealous priest; not Phinehas son of Eli
Parents: Eleazar · 1 child recorded
- Phinehas priest
Son of Eli; priest at Shiloh; not Phinehas son of Eleazar
Parents: Eli · Spouse: Phinehas' wife · 2 children recorded
Prophet and last judge of Israel, who anointed Saul and David as kings.
Parents: Elkanah, Hannah · 2 children recorded
Chief priest when Jerusalem fell; executed at Riblah (2 Kings 25:18-21)
Parents: Azariah · 1 child recorded
- Shallum priest
Son of Zadok (1 Chronicles 6:12-13)
Parents: Zadok · 1 child recorded
- Shimei Levite
Son of Gershon; not Shimei who cursed David
Parents: Gershon
- Uzzi priest
Son of Bukki
Parents: Bukki · 1 child recorded
- Uzziel Levite
Son of Kohath
Parents: Kohath
Priest under David; anointed Solomon; became chief priest in Abiathar's place
Parents: Ahitub · 1 child recorded
- Zadok priest
Son of the second Ahitub (1 Chronicles 6:12); the second Zadok in the list
Parents: Ahitub · 1 child recorded
Priest, husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptist.
Spouse: Elizabeth · 1 child recorded
- Zerahiah priest
Son of Uzzi
Parents: Uzzi · 1 child recorded
Key passages
Exodus 6:16–25Numbers 3Numbers 26:57–621 Chronicles 61 Chronicles 24Ezra 7:1–5
Every relationship here comes from a cited passage. Solid lines are stated parent links; dashed lines mean generations are not all listed; dotted lines mark legal or adoptive parents; a question mark marks a disputed or interpretive link. Political succession and office are never drawn as family.