Uzzi

The name Uzzi belongs to at least six different men in the Hebrew scriptures: a high-priestly ancestor in the line of Aaron, two clan heads from the tribes of Issachar and Benjamin, a Benjamite resident of post-exilic Jerusalem, a Levitical overseer in Nehemiah's day, and a priest in the same generation. Each appears only briefly — almost always inside a genealogy or a register — but together the notices show the name distributed across priests, Levites, singers, and tribal "mighty men of valor."

Uzzi the Priestly Ancestor

The first and most prominent Uzzi sits in the Aaronic high-priestly line between Bukki and Zerahiah. The Chronicler runs the line forward: "and Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi" (1Ch 6:5), then "and Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot Meraioth" (1Ch 6:6). A parallel summary later in the same chapter restates the same sequence as "Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son" (1Ch 6:51). When Ezra traces his own ancestry back to Aaron in the opening of Ezra 7, the same Uzzi reappears in ascending order: "the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki" (Ezr 7:4). The notices give no narrative — only a fixed slot in the priestly succession, four generations or so before the era of Eli and the early monarchy.

Uzzi Among the Sons of Tola (Issachar)

A second Uzzi heads a clan within Issachar. Among "the sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers' houses, [to wit,] of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations: their number in the days of David was two and twenty thousand and six hundred" (1Ch 7:2). His own line is recorded in the next verse: "And the sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Isshiah, five; all of them chief men" (1Ch 7:3). The notice locates him as a clan founder whose house produced soldiers numbered in David's reign and "chief men" in the next generation.

Uzzi Among the Sons of Bela (Benjamin)

A third Uzzi belongs to Benjamin. In the genealogy of Bela, Benjamin's son, the Chronicler writes: "And the sons of Bela: Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five; heads of fathers' houses, mighty men of valor; and they were reckoned by genealogy twenty and two thousand and thirty and four" (1Ch 7:7). Like his Issacharite namesake he is identified as a head of a father's house and counted among "mighty men of valor."

Uzzi the Son of Michri

A fourth Uzzi appears in the post-exilic register of Benjamites resettled in Jerusalem. He is named only as a link in a longer chain: "Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah" (1Ch 9:8). The verse identifies him by his father (Michri) and his son (Elah), placing his line among those who returned to live in the city.

Uzzi the Levitical Overseer

In Nehemiah's organization of post-exilic Jerusalem, an Uzzi of the singer-clan of Asaph is given oversight of the Levites attached to the temple: "The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the business of the house of God" (Ne 11:22). Five generations of his lineage are listed, anchoring him in the Asaphite musical guild and assigning him administrative responsibility for the daily operation of the sanctuary.

Uzzi the Priest in Joiakim's Day

A sixth Uzzi is a priest in the generation after the return. In the list of priestly heads "in the days of Joiakim" he is recorded as the representative of the house of Jedaiah: "and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi" (Ne 12:19). He surfaces again in the dedication procession for the rebuilt wall, walking among the priests with their trumpets: "and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer" (Ne 12:42). The two Nehemiah notices together place him in the active priestly leadership of the restored temple community.