Amram

Biblical Record

Amram was the grandson of Levi and the son of Kohath. Exodus 6:18 lists the sons of Kohath as Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. According to Exodus 6:20, Amram married Jochebed, his father's sister, who bore him Aaron and Moses, and he lived to the age of 137. Numbers 26:58-59 calls Jochebed "the daughter of Levi" and, in listing the couple's children, adds Miriam to Aaron and Moses. The same genealogy also appears in 1 Chronicles 6:3 and 23:13.

Exodus 2:1-10 relates that when Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew male infants to be killed, "a man of the house of Levi" who had married "a daughter of Levi" hid their newborn son for three months. The parents are not named in this passage, but on the basis of the genealogy in chapter 6, the man is identified as Amram.

Amram's descendants were called "the family of the Amramites" (Numbers 3:27); they belonged to the Kohathites, who were responsible for the furnishings of the tabernacle. First Chronicles 23:13-14 records that the descendants of Aaron held the office of priest, while the descendants of Moses were reckoned among the tribe of Levi. A different man of the same name appears in Ezra 10:34.

Significance in Scripture

As the father of the three leaders of the Exodus, Amram serves as a genealogical link establishing that Moses and Aaron came from the tribe of Levi. Scripture records none of his words or actions directly. The New Testament does not mention Amram by name, but Hebrews 11:23 states that by faith Moses "was hid three months of his parents," who "were not afraid of the king's commandment." Acts 7:20 likewise records that Moses "was nourished up in his father's house three months."

Interpretations and Debates

• Marriage to his aunt: Amram's marriage to his father's sister is a union later prohibited in Leviticus 18:12. This is commonly explained by the fact that it took place before the Law was given. Some manuscripts of the Septuagint reportedly render Jochebed as the daughter of his father's brother, that is, his cousin.
• Number of generations in the genealogy: Views differ on how to reconcile a genealogy that lists only four generations from Levi to Moses with the 430-year sojourn in Egypt (Exodus 12:40). Some hold that the genealogy omits intervening generations, while others calculate a shorter period for the sojourn.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Jewish tradition (the Talmud) relates that Amram separated from his wife because of Pharaoh's decree and later reunited with her at Miriam's urging. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls there is reportedly a document bearing Amram's name (the "Visions of Amram"). These stories are not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted specifically to Amram are rare. He is usually mentioned together with Jochebed as "parents of faith" when preachers treat the story of Moses' birth or the Faith Chapter (Hebrews 11). In Sunday school lessons as well, he is often presented as one of the figures in the story of the family that hid the infant Moses.