Hebrew word · H568

אֲמַרְיָ֫הוּ

'amaryahu

Amariah

A sentence name: ʾāmar ("he said, promised") + Yah (short for YHWH). It means "YHWH has said/promised."

Appears 16 times in 14 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.6.7;

son of: Meraioth (H4812);

father of: Ahitub (H0285H)

§ Amariah = "Jehovah speaks" or "Yah(u) has promised"

1) Zadok's grandfather

2) a head priest's son in Solomon's time

3) a chief priest under Jehoshaphat

4) Hezekiah's son, great-grandfather of Zephaniah

5) a Levite in Ezra's time

6) a Levite under Hezekiah

7) a priest in Nehemiah's time

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Nehemiah 12:13

Range of meaning

A sentence name: ʾāmar ("he said, promised") + Yah (short for YHWH). It means "YHWH has said/promised."

Against the English

English transliterates it. Nothing is distorted.

Used elsewhere in the period

The name is borne by priests and Levites from the monarchy onward (1 Chr 6:7, 11; 2 Chr 19:11). In the post-exilic lists an Amariah appears among the returning priests (Neh 12:2) and among the covenant signers (Neh 10:3). Yahwistic names of this type are common on seals and in the Elephantine papyri of the Persian period.

Where it appears

1 Chronicles · 7

  1. 1 Chronicles 6:7 אֲמַרְיָ֔ה וַאֲמַרְיָ֖ה Amariah, and Amariah

    Meraioth was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub,

  2. 1 Chronicles 6:11 אֲמַרְיָ֑ה וַאֲמַרְיָ֖ה Amariah, and Amariah

    Azariah was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub,

  3. 1 Chronicles 6:52 אֲמַרְיָ֥ה Amariah

    Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

  4. 1 Chronicles 23:19 אֲמַרְיָ֣ה Amariah

    The sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

  5. 1 Chronicles 24:23 אֲמַרְיָ֙הוּ֙ Amariah

    From the sons of Hebron: Jeriah was the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:11 אֲמַרְיָ֣הוּ Amariah

    Note that Amariah, the chief priest, will be over you in all that pertains to the LORD, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. And the Levites will serve as officers before you. Act resolutely; may the LORD be with the upright!”

  2. 2 Chronicles 31:15 אֲמַרְיָ֧הוּ Amariah

    Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.

Ezra · 2

  1. Ezra 7:3 אֲמַרְיָ֥ה Amariah

    the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

  2. Ezra 10:42 אֲמַרְיָ֖ה Amariah

    Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

Nehemiah · 4

  1. Nehemiah 10:3 אֲמַרְיָ֖ה Amariah

    Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

  2. Nehemiah 11:4 אֲמַרְיָ֛ה Amariah

    while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.) From the descendants of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez;

  3. Nehemiah 12:2 אֲמַרְיָ֥ה Amariah

    Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

  4. Nehemiah 12:13 לַאֲמַרְיָ֖ה of Amariah

    of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

    Here: Again le- plus a founder's name: "for the house of Amariah." The name means "YHWH has said" or "YHWH has promised." An Amariah is listed among the priests who came back with Zerubbabel (12:2).

Zephaniah · 1

  1. Zephaniah 1:1 אֲמַרְיָ֖ה Amariah

    This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.