Bible Dictionary
Amram
Amram was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses, and belonged to the family of Kohath in the tribe of Levi. Another Amram was among those in Ezra’s time who had taken a foreign wife.
Definition
Amram was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses and belonged to the family of Kohath among the Levites. He married Jochebed and died in Egypt at the age of 137. His descendants were called Amramites. Another Amram was among the Bani who had taken a foreign wife in Ezra’s time.
Biblical Usage
Amram appears in the genealogical records of Levi and in the ancestry of Israel’s chief deliverer and priests. His descendants formed a Levitical family associated with service at the tabernacle.
Historical Background
The supplied material notes uncertainty about whether Amram was literally Kohath’s son or a later descendant, because the recorded generations and population figures suggest a broader genealogical usage.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Kindred of the High; i.e., “friend of Jehovah.” (1.) The son of Kohath, the son of Levi. He married Jochebed, “his father’s sister,” and was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses (Ex. 6:18, 20; Num. 3:19). He died in Egypt at the age of 137 years (Ex. 6:20). His descendants were called Amramites (Num. 3:27; 1 Chr. 26:23). (2.) Ezra 10:34.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(an exalted people).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>am'-ram (`amram, "people exalted"):</p><p>(1) Father of Aaron, Moses and Miriam (Ex 6:20; Nu 26:59; 1Ch 6:3; 23:13); and a son of Kohath, the son of Levi (Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19, etc.). It is not certain that he was literally the son of Kohath, but rather his descendant, since there were ten generations from Joseph to Joshua (1Ch 7:20-27), while only four are actually mentioned from Levi to Moses for the corresponding period. Moreover the Kohathites at the time of the Exodus numbered 8,600 (Nu 3:28), which would therefore have been an impossibility if only two generations had lived. It seems best to regard Amram as a descendant of Kohath, and his wife Jochebed as a "daughter of Levi" in a general sense.</p><p>(2) One of the Bani, who in the days of Ezra had taken a foreign wife (Ezr 10:34).</p><p>(3) In 1Ch 1:41 (the King James Version) for the properly read HAMRAN of the Revised Version (British and American) (chamran), a Horite, who in Ge 36:26 is called HEMDAN (which see).</p><p>Edward Mack</p>