Libni

Biblical Record

Libni was a grandson of Jacob's son Levi and a son of Gershon, one of Levi's three sons. His younger brother was Shimei. Scripture records none of Libni's own deeds or words; his name appears only in genealogies and lists of families (clans).

• Exodus 6:17: In the genealogy of the descendants of Levi, he is listed in the words "The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families."
• Numbers 3:18, 3:21: In the census of the Levites taken in the wilderness, the text records that "of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites." The passage that follows (Numbers 3:22–26) numbers the Gershonite males at 7,500 and records that they camped on the west side of the tabernacle and were responsible for its curtains, coverings, and the hanging for the door. This charge was given to all the descendants of Gershon, including the Libnite family.
• Numbers 26:58: In the second census, taken near the end of the wilderness period, "the family of the Libnites" appears first among the families of the Levites.
• 1 Chronicles 6:17, 6:20: He appears again as a son of Gershon. In 6:20 his line is traced as "Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son."

The name Libni also appears in 1 Chronicles 6:29, but that Libni is a grandson of Merari and the son of Mahli, a different person from Libni the son of Gershon.

Significance in Scripture

The name Libni functions less as a reference to an individual than as the name of a clan within the tribe of Levi. The family that bore his name held a place in the system of Levitical duties for carrying and maintaining the tabernacle, illustrating that the Levites were organized and served by family units. Libni is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debate

1 Chronicles 23:7 lists the descendants of Gershon as "Laadan, and Shimei." Scholars disagree as to whether Laadan is the same person as Libni or whether the clan name later changed or the clan divided. In addition, the Gershonite genealogy is recorded differently in different passages within 1 Chronicles 6 itself (compare 6:20 with 6:42–43), and various explanations have been proposed for how the genealogies were edited. Beyond his name and lineage, Scripture says nothing about Libni's life.

In the Korean Church

Libni is rarely treated on his own in sermons or Sunday school lessons. He is known mainly as a name encountered when the Levitical genealogies are read during reading through the Bible or in expository teaching on Numbers and 1 Chronicles.