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People in the Bible and figures of church history · Articles: 869 (1,278 in the whole category)

A 113

  • AaronAaron, a Levite who appears in the Old Testament books from Exodus through Deuteronomy, was the elder brother of Moses and the first high priest of I…
  • AbdonAbdon was a judge of Israel mentioned in Judges 12. The son of Hillel the Pirathonite from the land of Ephraim, he judged Israel for eight years. Scr…
  • AbiatharAbiathar was a priest in the days of Saul and David. The sole survivor of the massacre at Nob, he served David, but when Solomon came to the throne h…
  • AbielAbiel is a Benjamite whom 1 Samuel identifies as the father of Kish and thus the grandfather of Saul, Israel's first king. He appears only by name in…
  • AbigailAbigail is a woman in 1 Samuel 25. The wife of Nabal the Carmelite, she turned back David, who was on his way to attack her husband, through wise wor…
  • AbihailAbihail is a personal name in the Old Testament borne by several individuals, both men and women. The best known are the father of Esther, the daught…
  • AbihuAbihu, the second son of the high priest Aaron in the Old Testament, was consecrated as a priest along with his older brother Nadab. He died by fire …
  • AbijahAbijah was the second king of the southern kingdom of Judah during the divided monarchy, the son of Rehoboam and the father of Asa. The books of King…
  • AbijamAbijam was the second king of the southern kingdom of Judah during the period of the divided kingdom. The son of Rehoboam and the father of Asa, he r…
  • AbimelechAbimelech is the name of several figures in the Old Testament. It most often refers to the king of Gerar who made covenants with Abraham and Isaac, a…
  • AbinadabAbinadab was a man of Kiriath-jearim in the Old Testament. Scripture records that he received the ark of the covenant into his house after the Philis…
  • AbinoamAbinoam is a figure in the Book of Judges, the father of Barak, the Israelite military leader who, together with Deborah, defeated the Canaanite army.
  • Abiram (Son of Hiel)Abiram was the firstborn son of Hiel the Bethelite, who rebuilt Jericho during the reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He died when…
  • AbishagAbishag was a young woman from Shunem who attended King David in his final years. After David's death, Adonijah's request to marry her led Solomon to…
  • AbishurAbishur is a figure in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2. He was the son of Shammai, a descendant of Jerahmeel, and the husband o…
  • AbnerAbner was the commander of King Saul's army. After Saul's death he made Ish-bosheth king, later went over to David, and was killed by Joab at Hebron.
  • AbrahamAbraham is the ancestor of the people of Israel described in the Book of Genesis. He left his homeland in response to God's call, and Christians ofte…
  • AbsalomAbsalom was the third son of King David, an Old Testament figure who rebelled against his father in an attempt to seize the throne and was killed in …
  • AchaicusAchaicus was a believer in the church at Corinth, mentioned only once, in 1 Corinthians 16:17. With Stephanas and Fortunatus, he visited Paul in Ephe…
  • AchanAchan was a man of the tribe of Judah whose story is told in Joshua 7. During the fall of Jericho he secretly took items that had been devoted to God…
  • AchborAchbor was an official under King Josiah of Judah and a member of the delegation sent to the prophetess Huldah to inquire about the book of the law f…
  • AchishAchish was king of the Philistine city of Gath. He twice received David when David fled from Saul, and he gave David the town of Ziklag.
  • AchsahAchsah is an Old Testament figure, the daughter of Caleb and the wife of Othniel, the first judge. She is known for asking her father for springs of …
  • AdahAdah is the wife of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, in Genesis 4, and the mother of Jabal and Jubal. Genesis 36 also mentions a wife of Esau who bears …
  • AdamAdam is the first human being in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. According to the biblical account, God formed him from the dust of the gro…
  • Adoni-bezekAdoni-bezek was a Canaanite king of Bezek who appears in Judges 1. Defeated by the tribes of Judah and Simeon, he had his thumbs and great toes cut o…
  • Adoni-zedekAdoni-zedek was a king of Jerusalem during the conquest of Canaan, mentioned in Joshua 10. When Gibeon made peace with Israel, he led a coalition of …
  • AdonijahAdonijah was the fourth son of David. In David's old age he attempted to make himself king, but his bid failed when Solomon was installed on the thro…
  • AdoniramAdoniram, the son of Abda, was an Israelite official who supervised the levy (forced labor conscripted by the state) under David, Solomon, and Rehobo…
  • AdrammelechAdrammelech was a son of the Assyrian king Sennacherib. Together with his brother Sharezer, he killed his father with the sword while the king was wo…
  • AdrielAdriel was an Israelite of the time of King Saul, the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He married Merab, Saul's elder daughter, who had been promise…
  • AeneasAeneas was a man of Lydda, mentioned in Acts 9, who had been bedridden with palsy for eight years and was healed through Peter.
  • AgabusAgabus was a prophet of the early church who appears twice in the Book of Acts. At Antioch he foretold a great famine, and at Caesarea he prophesied …
  • AgagAgag was a king of the Amalekites during the reign of King Saul. First Samuel 15 records that Saul disobeyed God's command by sparing him, an act tha…
  • AgrippaAgrippa was the Jewish king (Agrippa II) who heard the apostle Paul's defense in Acts 25–26. The name can also refer to his father, Agrippa I, who ap…
  • AgurAgur is the figure credited with the words of Proverbs 30 in the Old Testament. He is introduced only as "the son of Jakeh," and Scripture records no…
  • Ahab and JezebelAhab was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the ninth century BC, and Jezebel, a native of Sidon, was his queen. The books of Kings re…
  • AhasuerusAhasuerus is the king of Persia who appears in the Old Testament Book of Esther. He made Esther his queen, and many scholars identify him with the Pe…
  • AhazAhaz was a king of the southern kingdom of Judah in the late eighth century BC, the son of Jotham and the father of Hezekiah. Scripture records him a…
  • AhaziahAhaziah is the name of two kings who reigned during the divided monarchy of the Old Testament. One was the son of Ahab of the northern kingdom of Isr…
  • Ahaziah (King of Judah)Ahaziah was a king of the southern kingdom of Judah and the son of Jehoram and Athaliah. He reigned for one year and was killed along with Joram, kin…
  • AhbanAhban is a figure in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2. He was the son of Abishur, a descendant of Jerahmeel, and Abishur's wife …
  • AhijahAhijah was a prophet from Shiloh who was active in the last years of Solomon's reign and during the reign of Jeroboam I. He tore his garment into twe…
  • Ahijah (Priest)Ahijah was a priest who wore the ephod and accompanied King Saul during his reign. A great-grandson of Eli, he is named in 1 Samuel 14.
  • AhikamAhikam was an official in the reign of King Josiah of Judah, the son of Shaphan the scribe, and the father of Gedaliah, governor of Judah. He is know…
  • AhimaazAhimaaz was the son of Zadok, the priest during the reign of King David. During Absalom's rebellion he served as a messenger, carrying news from Jeru…
  • AhimanAhiman was a descendant of Anak who lived in Hebron before the conquest of Canaan. He is named in the Bible together with Sheshai and Talmai and was …
  • AhimelechAhimelech was the priest of Nob during the reign of King Saul. He was put to death at Saul's command for giving the fleeing David the holy bread and …
  • AhinoamAhinoam was a wife of David and the mother of Amnon, David's firstborn son. Scripture also mentions a wife of King Saul who bore the same name.
  • AhioAhio was a son of Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim. When David moved the ark of the covenant, Ahio and his brother Uzzah drove the new cart that carried it…
  • AhioAhio was a man of David's time who, together with Uzzah, drove the new cart carrying the Ark of the Covenant; 2 Samuel records him as a son of Abinad…
  • AhisamachAhisamach is a man of the tribe of Dan mentioned in the Book of Exodus and the father of Aholiab, a craftsman who took part in making the tabernacle.…
  • AhithophelAhithophel the Gilonite was a counselor to King David, an official who devised plans and gave advice to the king. He joined Absalom's rebellion, and …
  • AhitubAhitub is the name of several members of priestly families in the Old Testament. It most often refers to the grandson of Eli and father of Ahimelech,…
  • AhuzzathAhuzzath was a "friend" of Abimelech, king of Gerar. According to Genesis 26:26, he accompanied Abimelech, together with Phichol, the chief captain o…
  • AiahAiah is a figure in 2 Samuel, the father of Rizpah, a concubine of King Saul. Scripture refers to him only as "the father of Rizpah" and records noth…
  • Alexander (Jew of Ephesus)Alexander was a Jew whom the Jews of Ephesus put forward before the crowd during the riot described in Acts 19. He motioned with his hand to make a d…
  • Alexander (Son of Simon)Alexander was a son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus' cross, and the brother of Rufus. He is mentioned by name only once, in Mark 15:21.
  • Alexander the CoppersmithAlexander the coppersmith is a metalworker mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:14-15. He is recorded as having done Paul "much evil" and as having greatly withs…
  • AlphaeusAlphaeus is a New Testament figure named only as the father of James, one of the twelve disciples, and as the father of Levi the tax collector. None …
  • Amalek (son of Eliphaz)Amalek was the son of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn, by Eliphaz's concubine Timna. He was one of the chiefs of Edom and is traditionally regarded as the …
  • AmariahAmariah was the chief priest during the reign of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. When Jehoshaphat established a judicial system in Jerusalem, he placed A…
  • AmasaAmasa was a military commander in the time of David. He commanded Absalom's army during Absalom's rebellion and was later appointed commander by Davi…
  • AmasaiAmasai is a figure in 1 Chronicles 12, the "chief of the thirty" among the men of Benjamin and Judah who came to David while he was fleeing from Saul…
  • AmaziahAmaziah was the ninth king of the southern kingdom of Judah, the son of Joash and the father of Uzziah. After defeating Edom, he worshiped the gods o…
  • Amaziah (Priest of Bethel)Amaziah was the priest of the sanctuary at Bethel in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II. In Amos 7 he accuses the prophet…
  • AmittaiAmittai was the father of the prophet Jonah. He is mentioned by name only twice in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings 14:25 and Jonah 1:1.
  • AmminadabAmminadab was a man of the tribe of Judah, the son of Ram and the father of Nahshon and Elisheba. He was the father-in-law of Aaron, and his name app…
  • AmnonAmnon was the firstborn son of David, an Old Testament figure who raped his half-sister Tamar and was killed two years later by her full brother Absa…
  • AmonAmon was a king of Judah, the son of Manasseh and the father of Josiah. He reigned in Jerusalem for two years before his servants conspired against h…
  • Amos (Prophet)Amos was an Old Testament prophet, a herdsman from Tekoa in Judah, who proclaimed God's judgment and justice to the northern kingdom of Israel during…
  • Amoz (Father of Isaiah)Amoz was the father of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Scripture names him only in the phrase "Isaiah the son of Amoz." He is a different person fr…
  • AmpliasAmplias was a believer in the church at Rome whom the apostle Paul called "my beloved in the Lord" in the closing greetings of Romans 16. Scripture m…
  • AmramAmram was a son of Kohath of the tribe of Levi, the husband of Jochebed, and the father of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. His name appears in genealogical…
  • AmraphelAmraphel was a king of Shinar mentioned in Genesis 14. Allied with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, he fought against five kings, including the king of Sod…
  • AnahAnah is a Horite of the land of Seir mentioned in Genesis 36. He was the son of Zibeon and the father of Oholibamah, a wife of Esau, and he is record…
  • AnakAnak was the ancestor of the "children of Anak" (the Anakim), who lived in the region of Hebron (Kirjath-arba) in Canaan. The Bible identifies him as…
  • Ananias (High Priest)Ananias was a Jewish high priest who appears in Acts 23–24. He ordered those standing by to strike Paul on the mouth as Paul made his defense before …
  • Ananias (Husband of Sapphira)Ananias was a member of the early church in Jerusalem who appears in Acts 5. With his wife Sapphira, he kept back part of the price of land they had …
  • Ananias and SapphiraAnanias and Sapphira were a married couple in the early church at Jerusalem whose story is told in Acts 5. After selling a piece of land, they kept b…
  • Ananias of DamascusAnanias of Damascus was a disciple in Damascus, mentioned in Acts 9 and 22, who laid his hands on the newly converted Saul (Paul), restoring his sigh…
  • Ananias the High PriestHigh priest in Jerusalem in the mid-first century. In Acts 23–24 he orders that Paul be struck on the mouth as Paul stands before the Sanhedrin, and …
  • AndrewAndrew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, the brother of Simon Peter, and a fisherman from Galilee. The Gospel of John portrays him as a forme…
  • AndronicusAndronicus was an early Christian who appears in the New Testament only in Romans 16:7, where Paul sends greetings to him together with Junia. Paul d…
  • AnnasAnnas was a former Jewish high priest in the time of Jesus and the father-in-law of Caiaphas. He was the first person before whom Jesus was brought a…
  • AntipasAntipas was a first-century Christian who is called "my faithful martyr" in the message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:13 and is recorded …
  • ApellesApelles was a believer in the church at Rome whom Paul greeted in Romans 16:10, describing him as "approved in Christ." He appears in only this one p…
  • ApollosApollos was a first-century Christian teacher who appears in the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles of the New Testament. A Jew from Alexa…
  • ApphiaApphia was a Christian woman of the early church who is named as a "sister" in the greeting of Paul's Epistle to Philemon (Philemon 1:2). This is her…
  • AraunahAraunah was a Jebusite who lived in Jerusalem in the time of David. David bought his threshing floor and built an altar there, and the books of Chron…
  • ArbaArba is a figure in the Old Testament Book of Joshua, identified as the father of Anak and the greatest man among the Anakim. According to the biblic…
  • ArchelausArchelaus was a son of Herod the Great who ruled Judea after his father's death. He is mentioned only once in Scripture, in Matthew 2:22, as the reas…
  • ArchippusArchippus was an early Christian worker named in the New Testament letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. Paul called him a "fellowsoldier" and u…
  • AretasAretas was a king of Nabataea (northern Arabia) whose name appears in the passage where the apostle Paul recalls a crisis he faced in Damascus. Schol…
  • AriochArioch appears in Daniel 2 as the captain of the guard (the chief of the officials responsible for the king's protection and for carrying out executi…
  • AristarchusAristarchus was an early Christian from Thessalonica in Macedonia who accompanied Paul on his missionary travels and on his voyage to Rome. In Coloss…
  • AristobulusAristobulus was a man in Rome whom the apostle Paul mentions in the greetings of Romans 16 in the phrase "Aristobulus' household." Nothing is recorde…
  • ArmoniArmoni was the son of King Saul by his concubine Rizpah. During a famine in the reign of David, he was handed over to the Gibeonites and executed alo…
  • ArphaxadArphaxad was the son of Shem, the son of Noah. In the genealogies of Genesis he is one link in the line running from Shem to Abraham, and his name al…
  • ArtaxerxesArtaxerxes was a king of Persia who sent Ezra and Nehemiah to Jerusalem, authorizing the restoration of the Law and the rebuilding of the city walls.…
  • ArtemasArtemas was a coworker of the apostle Paul whose name appears only once in the New Testament, in Titus 3:12. Paul wrote to Titus, who was then in Cre…
  • AsaAsa was the third king of the southern kingdom of Judah during the period of the divided monarchy. Scripture evaluates him favorably for reforms that…
  • AsahelAsahel was a son of Zeruiah, David's sister, and a brother of Joab and Abishai. A warrior swift of foot, he was killed by Abner's spear while pursuin…
  • AsaiahAsaiah was an official of King Josiah of Judah. He appears in 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34 as a member of the delegation that went to the prophetes…
  • AsaphAsaph was a Levite musician in the time of David and a leader of the singers who led praise in the temple. Psalm 50 and Psalms 73–83 have come down a…
  • AsenathAsenath was an Egyptian woman in Genesis, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On. Pharaoh gave her to Joseph as his wife, and she became the mother…
  • AsherAsher was a son of Jacob by Zilpah, the maidservant of Leah. His descendants formed the tribe of Asher, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name …
  • AshpenazAshpenaz is the chief of the eunuchs under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in Daniel 1. He was responsible for educating and overseeing Daniel and h…
  • AthaliahAthaliah was a queen of Judah from the house of Ahab, king of northern Israel. She became the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah, and after the death of …
  • AugustusAugustus (Octavian) was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. In Luke 2 he appears as the emperor who decreed a census of the whole world, which led…
  • Azariah (High Priest)Azariah was high priest during the reign of Uzziah, king of Judah. When Uzziah entered the temple to burn incense himself, Azariah followed him in wi…
  • Azariah (Son of Oded)Azariah, the son of Oded, was a prophet during the reign of King Asa of Judah. In 2 Chronicles 15 he urged Asa to seek the LORD, prompting the remova…
  • AzurAzur is a Gibeonite mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah as the father of Hananiah, a false prophet active during the reign of King Zedeki…

B 39

  • BaalisBaalis was king of the children of Ammon shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. He appears only once, in Jeremiah 40:14, in a report that he had sent I…
  • BaanahBaanah was the son of Rimmon the Beerothite. With his brother Rechab, he served as a captain under Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul. The two men killed I…
  • BaashaBaasha was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel who appears in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. He killed Nadab the son of Jeroboam, seized the…
  • BalaamBalaam was a prophet from Mesopotamia who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel but instead blessed it. He is widely known for the story …
  • BalakBalak was the king of Moab shortly before Israel entered Canaan. According to Numbers 22–24, he summoned the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, but Bala…
  • Bani (Levite)Bani was a Levite in the time of Nehemiah. When Ezra read the Law aloud, Bani helped the people understand its meaning, and at the assembly held for …
  • Bar-JesusBar-Jesus, also called Elymas, is a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet who appears in Acts 13. At Paphos on the island of Cyprus, he tried to keep the…
  • BarabbasBarabbas was the prisoner whom Pontius Pilate, during the trial of Jesus, offered for release in keeping with the Passover custom. All four Gospels r…
  • BarachelBarachel is a Buzite mentioned only by name in the Book of Job. He is the father of Elihu, who comes forward to speak after the debate between Job an…
  • BarakBarak was an Israelite military leader in the period of the judges who, at the summons of the prophetess Deborah, defeated Sisera, the commander of t…
  • BarnabasBarnabas was an early church leader who appears in the Acts of the Apostles. Originally named Joseph, he was a Levite from Cyprus. The apostles gave …
  • BartholomewBartholomew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. Western church tradition has identified him with Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John.
  • BartimaeusBartimaeus was a blind beggar whom Jesus healed at Jericho. Mark 10 names him as "the son of Timaeus" and records that, after receiving his sight, he…
  • BaruchBaruch was the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah in the final years of the southern kingdom of Judah. He wrote on a scroll the prophecies Jeremiah dicta…
  • BarzillaiBarzillai was a Gileadite from Rogelim in the time of David. During Absalom's rebellion, he supplied food and other provisions to David and his compa…
  • Barzillai (the Meholathite)Barzillai the Meholathite was the father of Adriel, who married Merab, the eldest daughter of Saul. He is an Old Testament figure named only once, in…
  • BasemathBasemath is a wife of Esau in the Book of Genesis who, through her son Reuel, became an ancestor of the chiefs of Edom. Genesis 26 and Genesis 36 giv…
  • BathshebaBathsheba is a woman in the Old Testament books of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. Originally the wife of Uriah the Hittite, she later became the wife of David…
  • BedanBedan is a figure named by Samuel in 1 Samuel 12:11 as one of those who delivered Israel. Because Scripture records nothing else about him, interpret…
  • BeeriBeeri is an Old Testament figure named only in Hosea 1:1 as the father of the prophet Hosea. Scripture records nothing else about his life.
  • BelaBela, the son of Beor, is the first of the Edomite kings named in the Bible. His city was Dinhabah, and he appears in the lists of Edomite kings in G…
  • BelshazzarBelshazzar is the king of Babylon who appears in Daniel 5. He is remembered for the banquet at which the fingers of a man's hand wrote on the wall of…
  • Ben-ammiBen-ammi was the son born to Lot by his younger daughter. He is named in Genesis 19 and is recorded as the ancestor of the Ammonites, a people neighb…
  • Ben-hadadBen-hadad is the name of a king, or kings, of Aram (capital Damascus) in the Old Testament. The name means "son of Hadad," Hadad being the Aramean st…
  • BenaiahBenaiah was a warrior who commanded King David's bodyguard and, under King Solomon, succeeded Joab as commander of the army. He appears in 2 Samuel, …
  • BenjaminBenjamin was the second son of Jacob and Rachel and the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons. He was the ancestor of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twe…
  • BeraBera was the king of Sodom mentioned in Genesis 14. He fought against the coalition led by Chedorlaomer and was defeated. When Abram returned after r…
  • Beriah (Son of Asher)Beriah was the fourth son of Asher, the son of Jacob. He was the father of Heber and Malchiel and became the ancestor of "the family of the Beriites"…
  • BerniceBernice is a first-century woman mentioned in Acts 25–26. She came to Caesarea with King Agrippa and was present when Paul made his defense before th…
  • BethuelBethuel is a figure in the Book of Genesis. He was the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, and Nahor's wife Milcah, and the father of Laban and of Rebek…
  • Bezalel and OholiabBezalel and Oholiab are two craftsmen in the Book of Exodus who received wisdom and skill through the Spirit of God and made the wilderness tabernacl…
  • BichriBichri is an Old Testament figure named only as the father of Sheba, the Benjamite who rebelled against King David in 2 Samuel 20.
  • Bigthan and TereshBigthan and Teresh were two eunuchs of the Persian king Ahasuerus who appear in the Book of Esther. They plotted to kill the king but were executed a…
  • BilhahBilhah was Rachel's handmaid in the Book of Genesis and a wife (concubine) of Jacob. She bore Dan and Naphtali, the ancestors of the tribes of Dan an…
  • BishlamBishlam is a figure mentioned only once, in Ezra 4:7, who in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, joined Mithredath, Tabeel, and others in sendin…
  • BithiahBithiah is a woman mentioned once, as "the daughter of Pharaoh," in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4. She was the wife of Mered.…
  • BlastusBlastus is a figure mentioned only once, in Acts 12:20, as the chamberlain of King Herod (Agrippa I). When the people of Tyre and Sidon sought to mak…
  • BoazBoaz is a man of Bethlehem who appears in the Book of Ruth. He married Ruth, a Moabite woman, and fathered Obed. He was the great-grandfather of Davi…
  • BuziBuzi was the father of the prophet Ezekiel, an Old Testament figure named only once, in Ezekiel 1:3. He is understood to have belonged to a priestly …

C 31

  • Caesar AugustusCaesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Luke 2:1 records his decree that all the world should be taxed, which forms the background…
  • CaiaphasCaiaphas was the high priest in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. He led the council that examined Jesus and handed him over to the Roman governor Pont…
  • Cain and AbelCain and Abel are the two sons of Adam and Eve who appear in Genesis 4. Cain's killing of his younger brother Abel in a dispute over offerings is kno…
  • CainanCainan is a name that appears twice in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3. One Cainan is an antediluvian figure corresponding to Kenan in Genesis; the …
  • CalebCaleb is a man of the tribe of Judah who appears in the Old Testament books of Numbers and Joshua. One of the twelve spies, he joined Joshua in urgin…
  • Canaan (Son of Ham)Canaan was the fourth son of Ham, the son of Noah, and the one cursed by Noah in Genesis 9. His name later came to designate the land his descendants…
  • CandaceCandace is the "queen of the Ethiopians" mentioned in Acts 8. An official in charge of her treasury was baptized by Philip. A widely known view holds…
  • Carmi (son of Zabdi)Carmi is an Old Testament figure from the clan of Zerah in the tribe of Judah. He was the son of Zabdi and the father of Achan, who secretly took som…
  • CarpusCarpus was a first-century Christian of Troas who is mentioned only once in Scripture, in 2 Timothy 4:13. Paul had left his cloak, books, and parchme…
  • ChedorlaomerChedorlaomer was a king of Elam mentioned in Genesis 14. He led a coalition of four kings against five kings of the Jordan region and took Lot captiv…
  • ChelubaiChelubai is an Old Testament figure named in 1 Chronicles 2:9 as a son of Hezron of the tribe of Judah. He was a brother of Jerahmeel and Ram and is …
  • ChenaniahChenaniah was a chief of the Levites who directed and taught the singing when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He appears in 1 Chr…
  • Chief BakerThe chief baker was an official of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appears in Genesis 40. While in prison he had a dream, and three days later he was exe…
  • ChileabChileab was the second son of David, born to Abigail at Hebron. He appears by name only in 2 Samuel 3:3. In the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 3:1, th…
  • ChilionChilion is a figure in the Book of Ruth, the son of Elimelech and Naomi and the brother of Mahlon. During a famine he moved with his family to Moab, …
  • ChimhamChimham was the man whom the aged Barzillai sent with King David in his place when David crossed the Jordan to return to Jerusalem after Absalom's re…
  • ChloeChloe is a woman mentioned only once in Scripture, in 1 Corinthians 1:11. Paul wrote that he had learned of contentions in the Corinthian church from…
  • ChuzaChuza was the steward of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. He was the husband of Joanna, one of the women who ministered to Jesus and his company o…
  • ClaudiaClaudia was a woman of the church at Rome who, together with Eubulus, Pudens, and Linus, sent greetings to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:21. She is named in…
  • ClaudiusClaudius was a Roman emperor of the mid-first century AD. He is named twice in the book of Acts, which records a famine during his reign and his orde…
  • Claudius LysiasClaudius Lysias was a Roman military tribune (the "chief captain" of the KJV) who appears in the Book of Acts. He seized Paul while a mob was beating…
  • Clement (Philippians)Clement was a believer in the church at Philippi who is named once, in Philippians 4:3, where the apostle Paul mentions him among his fellow workers …
  • CleopasCleopas is the named one of the two disciples who met the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. Scripture contains no other record of his lif…
  • ConaniahConaniah was the chief Levite who took charge of the offerings, tithes, and dedicated things gathered in the temple storerooms during the reign of Ki…
  • CorneliusCornelius is a Roman centurion stationed at Caesarea who appears in Acts 10. After hearing Peter's preaching, he received the Holy Spirit and was bap…
  • CozbiCozbi was a Midianite woman mentioned in Numbers 25, the daughter of the Midianite chief Zur. During the Baal-peor incident, she was killed by Phineh…
  • CrescensCrescens was a coworker of Paul who is named only once, in 2 Timothy 4:10. Scripture records only that he departed for Galatia while Paul was impriso…
  • CrispusCrispus was the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth who, together with his entire household, believed in Jesus during the apostle Paul's ministry there…
  • Cushan-rishathaimCushan-rishathaim is a king of Mesopotamia who appears in Judges 3. Early in the period of the judges, he ruled over Israel for eight years and was d…
  • CushiCushi was the father of the Old Testament prophet Zephaniah. He is named only once in Scripture, in the genealogy of Zephaniah 1:1, and nothing else …
  • CyrusCyrus, known in general history as Cyrus II or Cyrus the Great, was a king of the ancient Persian Empire. The Bible records him as the ruler who perm…

D 25

  • DamarisDamaris was a woman who believed after hearing Paul preach in Athens. She is named only once in Scripture, in Acts 17:34.
  • Dan (Son of Jacob)Dan was a son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, and the ancestor of the tribe of Dan, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. His name is underst…
  • Daniel (Prophet)Daniel was a man of Judah who, according to the Bible, served in the royal court during the Babylonian exile. He is the central figure of the Book of…
  • DariusDarius is the name of several kings of the Persian period mentioned in the Bible. The best known are Darius king of Persia, who permitted the rebuild…
  • Darius the MedeDarius the Mede is a king in the Book of Daniel who receives the kingdom after the fall of Babylon. He had Daniel cast into the lions' den and, after…
  • Darius the MedeDarius the Mede is the king who, according to the book of Daniel, received the kingdom after the death of the Babylonian king Belshazzar. He is known…
  • Darius, King of PersiaDarius was a king of Persia who appears in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah. During his reign the halted rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem resumed and…
  • DathanDathan, a son of Eliab of the tribe of Reuben, appears in the Book of Numbers. With his brother Abiram and the Levite Korah, he rebelled against Mose…
  • Dathan and AbiramDathan and Abiram were brothers of the tribe of Reuben, sons of Eliab, who joined Korah in rebelling against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness after …
  • Daughters of ZelophehadThe daughters of Zelophehad were the five daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their request f…
  • DavidDavid was the second king of ancient Israel according to the Old Testament. He ruled the kingdom from Jerusalem, which he made his capital. Many of t…
  • DeborahDeborah was a prophetess and judge in the Old Testament Book of Judges, known for defeating the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, together with Barak, a…
  • Deborah, Rebekah's NurseDeborah, Rebekah's nurse, is a figure in the Book of Genesis who died while Jacob's household was staying at Bethel. She was buried beneath an oak be…
  • DelilahDelilah is a woman in Judges 16 who agreed to accept silver from the lords of the Philistines, discovered the secret of Samson's strength, and brough…
  • DemasDemas is a New Testament figure, a coworker of the apostle Paul named in Colossians and Philemon, who is recorded in 2 Timothy as having forsaken Pau…
  • DemetriusDemetrius was a silversmith of Ephesus, mentioned in Acts 19, who made silver shrines of the goddess Artemis. When Paul's preaching threatened his tr…
  • DeuelDeuel is a biblical figure named only in the Book of Numbers, where he appears as the father of Eliasaph, leader of the tribe of Gad during the wilde…
  • DiblaimDiblaim was the father of Gomer, the wife of the prophet Hosea. He is mentioned only once in the Old Testament, in Hosea 1:3.
  • DibriDibri is a man of the tribe of Dan who is named once in the Old Testament, in the book of Leviticus. His daughter Shelomith was the mother of the man…
  • DinahDinah was the daughter of Jacob and Leah and the only daughter of Jacob named in the Bible. She is the central figure in the Shechem incident recorde…
  • Dionysius the AreopagiteDionysius was an Athenian mentioned in Acts 17:34, a member of the Areopagus who believed after hearing Paul's address at the Areopagus.
  • DiotrephesDiotrephes was an early Christian mentioned in 3 John. He is described as one who loved to have the preeminence, refused to receive the elder's lette…
  • DodoDodo was a man of the tribe of Issachar, the father of Puah and the grandfather of the judge Tola. He is mentioned by name only once in the Bible, in…
  • DoegDoeg was an Edomite who served as King Saul's chief herdsman. He denounced Ahimelech, the priest of Nob who had helped David, to Saul, and at Saul's …
  • DrusillaDrusilla was a Jewish woman mentioned in Acts 24 and the wife of the Roman governor Felix. Together with her husband, she heard Paul speak about fait…

E 57

  • Ebed-melechEbed-melech was a Cushite eunuch in the palace of King Zedekiah during the final years of the Kingdom of Judah. He rescued the prophet Jeremiah, who …
  • EberEber is a descendant of Noah named in the genealogy of Shem in Genesis. He is the son of Salah and the father of Peleg and Joktan, and his name is co…
  • EglonEglon was a king of Moab who ruled over Israel for eighteen years during the period of the judges. He was killed by Ehud the Benjamite, as recorded i…
  • EhudEhud was a judge of Israel whose story appears in Judges 3. The son of Gera of the tribe of Benjamin, he killed Eglon, king of Moab, and delivered Is…
  • ElahElah was the fourth king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the son of Baasha. He reigned two years in Tirzah and was killed while drunk in a revo…
  • Elah (King of Israel)Elah was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the son of Baasha. According to 1 Kings 16, he reigned for two years and was killed by his serv…
  • EldadEldad was one of the seventy elders whose names were recorded during the wilderness period. He did not go out to the tabernacle but remained in the c…
  • Eldad and MedadEldad and Medad were two men chosen among the seventy elders appointed to assist Moses during the wilderness period after the Exodus. Instead of goin…
  • EleazarEleazar was the third son of Aaron and the biblical figure who succeeded his father as Israel's second high priest. Together with Joshua, he oversaw …
  • Eleazar (son of Abinadab)Eleazar was the son of Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim. He was consecrated to keep the ark of the covenant after it was returned by the Philistines, and h…
  • ElhananElhanan was an Israelite warrior who killed a Philistine giant during the wars of King David's reign. He appears briefly in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles…
  • EliEli was an Israelite priest who served at the sanctuary in Shiloh at the close of the period of the judges. He raised the boy Samuel but failed to re…
  • EliabEliab was the firstborn son of Jesse of Bethlehem and the eldest brother of David. He is best known from the account in which Samuel, judging by his …
  • EliadahEliadah was the father of Rezon, who became an adversary of Israel during the reign of Solomon. He is a biblical figure named only once, in 1 Kings 1…
  • EliakimEliakim, the son of Hilkiah, was the official over the royal household under Hezekiah, king of Judah. He led the delegation that met the Assyrian Rab…
  • EliakimEliakim was the official in charge of the royal household under Hezekiah, king of Judah. The son of Hilkiah, he met and negotiated with the Assyrian …
  • EliamEliam is a name that appears twice in 2 Samuel: once for the father of Bathsheba, and once for the son of Ahithophel, one of David's mighty men. The …
  • EliasaphEliasaph is a name found in the Book of Numbers that refers to two men of the wilderness period: the chief of the tribe of Gad (son of Deuel) and the…
  • EliashibEliashib was high priest in Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah records that he built the Sheep Gate during the rebuilding of the…
  • EliezerEliezer was the second son of Moses and Zipporah. His name is understood to mean "my God is help." Several people in the Bible bear the same name, an…
  • Eliezer (Servant of Abraham)Eliezer is the man of Damascus whom Abraham, while still childless, names as his heir in Genesis 15. He is commonly identified with Abraham's eldest …
  • Eliezer (son of Dodavah)Eliezer was a prophet in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the son of Dodavah of Mareshah. He rebuked Jehoshaphat for joining with King Ahaz…
  • ElihuElihu is a young man in Job 32–37 who steps forward after the debate between Job and his three friends has ended and delivers a lengthy discourse. He…
  • ElijahElijah was an Old Testament prophet who is understood to have ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel around the ninth century BC. He is best kn…
  • ElimelechElimelech is a man of Bethlehem in Judah who appears in the Book of Ruth. The husband of Naomi, he moved with his family to Moab to escape a famine a…
  • Eliphaz (Son of Esau)Eliphaz was the firstborn son of Esau by his wife Adah. He appears in the Edomite genealogies of Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1, which record him as t…
  • Eliphaz (the Temanite)Eliphaz the Temanite appears in the Book of Job as one of the three friends who came to comfort Job after disaster struck him, and he was always the …
  • ElishaElisha was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel who appears in the Old Testament books of Kings. He succeeded Elijah and is recorded as having…
  • ElishebaElisheba was the wife of Aaron, mentioned in Exodus 6:23. The daughter of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah and the sister of Nahshon, she bore four so…
  • ElizaphanElizaphan was appointed chief of the Kohathite families of the tribe of Levi during the wilderness period after the Exodus. He was the son of Uzziel.…
  • ElkanahElkanah is a figure in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, the husband of Hannah and the father of the prophet Samuel. He is remembered as a man who …
  • ElnathanElnathan was a man of Jerusalem in the final years of the kingdom of Judah and the father of Nehushta, the mother of King Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8). …
  • ElonElon was a judge of Israel from the tribe of Zebulun, mentioned in Judges 12. He succeeded Ibzan, judged Israel for ten years, and was buried at Aija…
  • ElymasElymas, also called Bar-Jesus, was a Jewish sorcerer who, according to Acts 13, opposed the preaching of Paul and Barnabas at Paphos on Cyprus and wa…
  • EnochEnoch is an antediluvian figure who appears in the genealogy of Genesis 5. The seventh generation from Adam and the father of Methuselah, he is recor…
  • EnoshEnosh is an antediluvian figure in Genesis, the son of Seth and grandson of Adam. The record of his birth is followed by the words "then began men to…
  • EpaenetusEpaenetus was a Christian whom Paul greeted in Romans 16:5, calling him "my wellbeloved" and the "firstfruits" of Asia unto Christ.
  • EpaphrasEpaphras was a coworker of Paul who appears in the New Testament letters of Colossians and Philemon. He is recorded as having preached the gospel to …
  • EpaphroditusEpaphroditus was a first-century Christian whom the church at Philippi sent to deliver a gift to the imprisoned Paul and to assist him. He appears on…
  • EphraimEphraim was the second son born to Joseph in Egypt. His grandfather Jacob blessed him ahead of his older brother, Manasseh. He was the ancestor of th…
  • EphronEphron, the son of Zohar, was a Hittite who appears in Genesis 23. He owned the field and cave of Machpelah near Hebron and sold them to Abraham for …
  • Er (son of Judah)Er was the firstborn son of Judah, the son of Jacob. Genesis 38 records that he married Tamar but, being "wicked in the sight of the LORD," died with…
  • ErastusErastus was a coworker of Paul mentioned in the New Testament. His name appears in Acts, Romans, and 2 Timothy, and in Romans he is described as a fi…
  • EsarhaddonEsarhaddon was a king of Assyria who succeeded Sennacherib after Sennacherib was murdered by his sons. He is mentioned briefly by name in 2 Kings, Is…
  • EsauEsau is the firstborn son of Isaac and Rebekah in the Book of Genesis and the elder twin brother of Jacob. He is best known for selling his birthrigh…
  • Esther (Queen of Persia)Esther is the central figure of the Old Testament Book of Esther. She became the queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus and saved the Jews when Haman's …
  • EthanEthan is the name of several Israelites in the Old Testament. It refers to "Ethan the Ezrahite," the wise man to whom Solomon is compared in 1 Kings;…
  • EthbaalEthbaal appears in 1 Kings 16:31 as "king of the Zidonians" and was the father of Jezebel, who became the wife of Ahab, king of the northern kingdom …
  • Ethiopian EunuchThe Ethiopian eunuch is the treasury official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who appears in Acts 8. After Philip the evangelist explained a pas…
  • EubulusEubulus was an early Christian who appears once in Scripture, at the close of the apostle Paul's letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:21), as one of those …
  • Euodia and SyntycheEuodia and Syntyche were two women believers in the church at Philippi, named in Philippians 4:2. Paul urged them to "be of the same mind in the Lord…
  • EuodiasEuodias was a woman believer in the church at Philippi, mentioned in the New Testament Epistle to the Philippians. Paul urged her and Syntyche to be …
  • EutychusEutychus was a young man of Troas mentioned in Acts 20. He is known for falling asleep during Paul's long discourse and falling to his death from a w…
  • EveEve is the first woman recorded in the Book of Genesis and the wife of Adam. She is known for the account of her eating the forbidden fruit after bei…
  • Evil-merodachEvil-merodach was the king of Babylon who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar. The closing portions of 2 Kings and Jeremiah record that in the year he came to t…
  • Ezekiel (Prophet)Ezekiel was an Old Testament priest and prophet who ministered during the Babylonian exile. He proclaimed to the exiles of Judah both the judgment of…
  • Ezra (Scribe)Ezra was a priest and scribe of Judah in the Persian period who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and taught the law of Moses. He appears in Ezra 7–…

F 2

  • Felix and FestusFelix and Festus were Roman governors of Judea who appear in Acts 23–26. While Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea, each in turn presided over his trial.
  • FortunatusFortunatus was a believer from the church at Corinth who is mentioned only once, in 1 Corinthians 16:17. Together with Stephanas and Achaicus, he vis…

G 20

  • GaalGaal, the son of Ebed, appears in Judges 9. He incited the men of Shechem to rise against Abimelech but was defeated in battle and driven out of Shec…
  • GadGad was the son born to Jacob by Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, and the ancestor of the tribe of Gad, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He and Asher w…
  • Gad (Prophet)Gad was a prophet active during the reign of King David and is called "David's seer" in Scripture. After David's census, he delivered God's judgment …
  • GadiGadi was the father of Menahem, king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He appears only twice, both times in 2 Kings 15, where his son is introduced …
  • GaiusGaius is the name of one or more first-century Christians mentioned in the New Testament. People bearing this name appear in Acts, the Pauline Epistl…
  • GallioGallio was the Roman proconsul of the province of Achaia. In Acts 18, when the Jews of Corinth brought charges against Paul, he declined to hear the …
  • GamalielGamaliel was a first-century Pharisaic teacher of the law in Jerusalem. In the Book of Acts he dissuades the council from punishing the apostles, and…
  • GedaliahGedaliah was the man Babylon appointed to govern the people left in the land of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem. He ruled from Mizpah until …
  • Gedaliah (son of Pashur)Gedaliah was an official of Judah during the reign of King Zedekiah. In Jeremiah 38, he and other officials asked the king to put the prophet Jeremia…
  • GehaziGehazi is the servant of the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings. He is known for lying to obtain the gifts that Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, had …
  • GemariahGemariah was a high official of Judah in the reign of King Jehoiakim and the son of Shaphan the scribe. Baruch read the prophecies of Jeremiah aloud …
  • GenubathGenubath was the son of Hadad, a member of the Edomite royal house, and the sister of Tahpenes, queen of Egypt. He is mentioned only once, in 1 Kings…
  • GershomGershom was the firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah, a Midianite woman, and appears in Exodus and 1 Chronicles. His name derives from Moses' experien…
  • GershonGershon was the first son of Levi, the son of Jacob. His descendants, the Gershonites, were a clan of the tribe of Levi responsible for carrying the …
  • GeshemGeshem was an Arabian who, together with Sanballat and Tobiah, mocked and obstructed Nehemiah's work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He appears…
  • GideonGideon is a judge of Israel whose story is told in Judges 6–8. Also called Jerubbaal, he is best known for defeating Midian with three hundred men.
  • GinathGinath is an Old Testament figure, named only in 1 Kings 16, who was the father of Tibni, Omri's rival for the throne of the northern kingdom of Isra…
  • GogGog is the figure prophesied in Ezekiel 38–39 as the leader of an army that comes from the north against Israel in the last days. In Revelation 20, "…
  • GoliathGoliath is a Philistine champion from Gath who appears in 1 Samuel 17. He challenged the army of Israel to single combat and was struck down by a sto…
  • GomerGomer was the wife of the prophet Hosea and appears in Hosea 1 as the daughter of Diblaim. The marriage of Hosea and Gomer serves as a symbol of the …

H 53

  • Habakkuk (Prophet)Habakkuk was the prophet to whom the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk is attributed. Scripture gives his name only in the book's two headings and recor…
  • HachaliahHachaliah is a figure in the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah who is named only as the father of Nehemiah, governor of Judah. Scripture records nothing…
  • Hadad (Son of Bedad)Hadad, the son of Bedad, was a king who reigned over Edom before any king ruled over Israel. He succeeded Husham, defeated the Midianites in the fiel…
  • Hadad the EdomiteHadad was a member of the Edomite royal family who fled from Edom to Egypt in the time of David and later returned to become an adversary of Solomon.…
  • HadadezerHadadezer, son of Rehob, was king of the Aramean kingdom of Zobah in the time of David. David defeated him in two campaigns, and as a result the Aram…
  • Hagar and IshmaelHagar was Sarah's Egyptian maidservant who bore Abraham his son Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn. Their story appears in Genesis 16, 21, and 25, and Paul…
  • Haggai (Prophet)Haggai was a prophet active after the return from the Babylonian exile, during the reign of the Persian king Darius. He urged the people to resume th…
  • HaggithHaggith was one of the wives of King David and the mother of Adonijah, the fourth son born to David in Hebron. Scripture records only her name.
  • HamanHaman was a high official of the Persian king Ahasuerus in the Old Testament book of Esther. Driven by a grudge against Mordecai, he sought to destro…
  • HamorHamor was a Hivite of the Canaanite city of Shechem and the father of Shechem, mentioned in Genesis 33–34. As head of the family that sold land to Ja…
  • HamulHamul was a grandson of Judah, a son of Perez, and a brother of Hezron. He was the ancestor of the Hamulite family within the tribe of Judah, and his…
  • HamutalHamutal was the wife of King Josiah of Judah and the mother of Kings Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. She is identified as the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, …
  • HanamelHanamel was a cousin of the prophet Jeremiah who appears in Jeremiah 32. While Jerusalem was under Babylonian siege, he sold his field in Anathoth to…
  • HananiHanani was a seer (prophet) in the reign of King Asa of Judah. He was imprisoned after rebuking the king for relying on the king of Aram instead of o…
  • Hananiah (False Prophet)Hananiah, son of Azur of Gibeon, is a prophet who appears in Jeremiah 28. During the reign of Zedekiah he prophesied that the yoke of Babylon would b…
  • Hananiah (Ruler of the Citadel)Hananiah was the ruler of the citadel (fortress) of Jerusalem mentioned in Nehemiah 7:2. After the city wall was rebuilt, Nehemiah placed Jerusalem i…
  • HannahHannah is a woman in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, the wife of Elkanah and the mother of the prophet Samuel. She is known for the prayer and vo…
  • HanunHanun was king of the Ammonites in the time of David, succeeding his father Nahash at his death. By humiliating the envoys David sent to console him,…
  • Haran (Son of Terah)Haran appears in Genesis 11 as a son of Terah, a brother of Abram and Nahor, and the father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. He died in Ur of the Chaldees …
  • HarbonaHarbona was a chamberlain who served the Persian king Ahasuerus. He told the king about the gallows Haman had set up to hang Mordecai, and Haman hims…
  • Hashabiah (Descendant of Merari)Hashabiah was a Levite descended from Merari who returned with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem. He appears in Ezra 8 as one of the men to whom Ezra en…
  • HatachHatach is a eunuch of the Persian court mentioned in the Book of Esther. King Ahasuerus appointed him to attend Queen Esther, and when Haman's decree…
  • HazaelHazael was a king of Aram, with his capital at Damascus, in the late ninth century BC. He killed Ben-hadad, seized the throne, and attacked Israel an…
  • Heber the KeniteHeber was a Kenite who appears in Judges 4–5. A descendant of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses, he was the husband of Jael, who killed the Canaanite…
  • HegaiHegai was a eunuch of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, in the Book of Esther. He had charge of the young women gathered as candidates to become queen. He s…
  • HeldaiHeldai was a Jew who returned from the Babylonian exile. In Zechariah 6, the silver and gold received from him were made into crowns that were set up…
  • HemanHeman is an Old Testament figure who appears in 1 and 2 Chronicles as a Levite worship leader in charge of temple music in the time of David. The sam…
  • HephzibahHephzibah was the mother of Manasseh, king of Judah, and is mentioned by name only once, in 2 Kings 21:1. Her name is commonly interpreted to mean "m…
  • HerodHerod is the name used in the New Testament for Herod the Great and several of his descendants. It refers to multiple figures, including Herod the Gr…
  • Herod Agrippa IHerod Agrippa I was a grandson of Herod the Great and a king who ruled Judea in the first half of the first century. In Acts 12 he is called "Herod t…
  • Herod AntipasHerod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, was the tetrarch who ruled Galilee and Perea. He executed John the Baptist and, according to the Gospel of L…
  • Herodias and SalomeHerodias was the wife of the tetrarch Herod Antipas. Her daughter danced at a banquet and then asked for the head of John the Baptist. The daughter's…
  • HerodionHerodion was a believer in the church at Rome whom the apostle Paul greeted as "my kinsman" in the closing greetings of Romans 16. He is mentioned in…
  • HezekiahHezekiah was a king of the southern kingdom of Judah who reigned from the late eighth to the early seventh century BC. Scripture presents him as a ki…
  • HezionHezion is a king of Aram named only in 1 Kings 15:18, where he appears as the father of Tabrimon and the grandfather of Ben-hadad, king of Syria.
  • HezronHezron, the son of Perez and grandson of Judah, is an Old Testament figure whose name appears in the genealogies of David and of Jesus Christ. The cl…
  • HielHiel was a man of Bethel who rebuilt Jericho during the reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He appears only once, in 1 Kings 16:34,…
  • HilkiahHilkiah is the name of several people in the Old Testament. The best known is the high priest who found the Book of the Law in the temple during the …
  • HirahHirah is an Adullamite in Genesis 38 and the friend of Judah, the son of Jacob. At Judah's request he took a young goat to recover the pledge Judah h…
  • HiramHiram was king of Tyre, a Phoenician port city, during the reigns of David and Solomon. He supplied timber and craftsmen for the building of the Temp…
  • HobabHobab is a Midianite who appears in Numbers 10 and Judges 4. When Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai, Moses asked him to come along as a gui…
  • HoglahHoglah was one of the five daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh, who appear in the Old Testament books of Numbers and Joshua. Together wi…
  • HohamHoham was the king of Hebron during the conquest of Canaan. Together with Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem, he attacked Gibeon, was defeated by Joshua, …
  • HophniHophni was a son of the priest Eli in 1 Samuel. He served as a priest at Shiloh with his brother Phinehas but treated the sacrificial offerings with …
  • Hophni and PhinehasHophni and Phinehas were the two sons of Eli who served as priests at Shiloh at the close of the period of the judges. They sinned in several ways, i…
  • HosahHosah was a Levite of the Merarite clan in the time of David. According to 1 Chronicles, he was appointed a gatekeeper before the Ark of the Covenant…
  • Hosea (Prophet)Hosea was a prophet active in the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC and is the central figure of the biblical Book of Hosea. The ac…
  • Hoshea (King of Israel)Hoshea was the last king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He came to the throne by killing Pekah, and during his reign Assyria captured the capital…
  • HuldahHuldah was a prophetess who lived in Jerusalem during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah. She delivered the word of God to the officials whom the kin…
  • HurHur was an Israelite leader who served alongside Moses and Aaron during the Exodus. He is best known for holding up Moses' hands with Aaron during th…
  • HushaiHushai was a figure of David's time, called "the Archite" and "David's friend." During Absalom's rebellion he feigned allegiance to Absalom, defeated…
  • HushamHusham was one of the kings who reigned over Edom before any king ruled over Israel. He came from the land of the Temanites, succeeded Jobab, and was…
  • HymenaeusHymenaeus was a figure in the early church whose name appears in 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. Paul mentions him as one who "made shipwreck" concerning th…

I 21

  • IbzanIbzan was a judge of Israel in the book of Judges who succeeded Jephthah, judged Israel for seven years, and was buried in Bethlehem. He is recorded …
  • IchabodIchabod is a figure in 1 Samuel, the grandson of the priest Eli and the son of Phinehas. He was born on the day the Philistines captured the ark of t…
  • Iddo (Prophet)Iddo was a prophet of the early divided kingdom who is called both a "seer" and a "prophet" in 2 Chronicles. He is said to have left writings recordi…
  • ImlahImlah was the father of Micaiah, a prophet in the time of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He appears in Scripture only four times, alway…
  • ImmerImmer is the name of the ancestor of a priestly family in the Old Testament. It appears as the name of the sixteenth of the priestly courses establis…
  • ImnahImnah is a biblical figure, a son of Asher and grandson of Jacob, whose name appears in the genealogies of Genesis, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles. In Num…
  • IradIrad is a figure in the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4. He was the son of Enoch, the son of Cain, and the father of Mehujael. His name appears only o…
  • IrijahIrijah was the captain of the ward at the Benjamin Gate of Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. He seized the prophet Jeremiah as h…
  • IsaacIsaac is a patriarch in the Book of Genesis, the son of promise born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. He is best known for nearly being offered…
  • Isaiah the ProphetIsaiah was an Old Testament prophet who ministered in the Kingdom of Judah in the late eighth century BC and is the central figure of the Book of Isa…
  • IscahIscah is a woman mentioned once in the Bible, in Genesis 11:29. She was the daughter of Haran son of Terah and the sister of Milcah and Lot. Jewish t…
  • Ish-boshethIsh-bosheth was a son of Saul who, after Saul's death, was made king over Israel by Abner, the commander of Saul's army, and reigned for about two ye…
  • Ishmael (son of Nethaniah)Ishmael son of Nethaniah was a military commander of the royal line of Judah who, after the fall of Jerusalem, killed Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appoin…
  • IshuahIshuah was a son of Asher and a grandson of Jacob. He is an Old Testament figure who appears by name only, in the list of Jacob's family who went dow…
  • IshviIshvi was a son of Asher, the son of Jacob. He is recorded among those who went down into Egypt with Jacob's family, and he became the ancestor of th…
  • IssacharIssachar was a son of Jacob and Leah. His name became the name of the tribe of Issachar, one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
  • IsshiahIsshiah was a Levite recorded as the head (chief) among the sons of Rehabiah, the grandson of Moses. His name appears only once, in 1 Chronicles 24:2…
  • IthamarIthamar was the fourth son of Aaron and served as a priest with his brother Eleazar during the wilderness period. When the tabernacle was transported…
  • IthielIthiel is a biblical figure named, together with Ucal, in Proverbs 30:1 as one of those to whom Agur the son of Jakeh addressed his proverbs.
  • IttaiIttai the Gittite was a foreign commander from the Philistine city of Gath who remained with David to the end when the king fled during Absalom's reb…
  • IzharIzhar was a grandson of Levi and a son of Kohath. He was the uncle of Moses and Aaron and appears in biblical genealogies as the father of Korah, who…

J 114

  • JaalamJaalam was a son of Esau and his wife Aholibamah, an Old Testament figure recorded in Genesis 36 as one of the chiefs (dukes) of Edom.
  • Jaazaniah (Son of Azzur)Jaazaniah the son of Azzur was one of the twenty-five men whom the prophet Ezekiel saw in a vision at the east gate of the Jerusalem temple. He is de…
  • JabalJabal is a figure in the line of Cain recorded in Genesis 4, the son of Lamech and Adah. Scripture describes him as "the father of such as dwell in t…
  • Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cainJabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain are the three sons of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, who appear in Genesis 4. They are presented as the originators of he…
  • JabezJabez is a figure in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4. He is known for a brief prayer in which he asked God for blessing and pro…
  • JabinJabin was king of Hazor, a city in northern Canaan. A king of Hazor by this name appears in both Joshua 11 and Judges 4; in Judges, Deborah and Barak…
  • JacobJacob is a patriarch of the Israelite people in the Book of Genesis, the son of Isaac and the younger twin brother of Esau. God gave him the new name…
  • JaelJael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, appears in Judges 4–5. She killed Sisera, the Canaanite commander who was fighting against Israel, in her tent, a…
  • JahazielJahaziel was a Levite in the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. When a coalition of Moabites and Ammonites invaded, he was moved by the Spirit and p…
  • JairJair was a Gileadite who appears in Judges 10:3–5 and judged Israel for twenty-two years. Several other people in the Bible bear the same name.
  • Jair (Son of Manasseh)Jair was an Old Testament figure, a descendant of Manasseh, who took villages in the regions of Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan River and named …
  • JairusJairus was a ruler of the synagogue named in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. He sought Jesus' help for his dying twelve-year-old daughter, and Jesus ra…
  • JakehJakeh was the father of Agur, whose words are recorded in Proverbs 30 of the Old Testament. His name appears only once in the Bible, in Proverbs 30:1.
  • James (Brother of Jesus)James is recorded as a brother of Jesus and became the leader of the church in Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection. Church tradition identifies him a…
  • James (Brother of the Lord)James is a New Testament figure identified as "the Lord's brother" and was a leader of the early church in Jerusalem. Tradition holds that he wrote t…
  • James (Son of Zebedee)James, the son of Zebedee, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus and the brother of the apostle John. According to the Book of Acts, he was killed…
  • James the Son of AlphaeusOne of the twelve disciples of Jesus, distinguished from James the son of Zebedee by the addition of his father's name. He is traditionally also call…
  • Jannes and JambresJannes and Jambres are two figures named in 2 Timothy 3:8 as men who opposed Moses. Jewish tradition identified them as the Egyptian magicians at Pha…
  • JaphiaJaphia was king of the Canaanite city of Lachish, mentioned in Joshua 10. He joined a coalition of five Amorite kings led by Adoni-zedek, king of Jer…
  • JaredJared is an antediluvian figure who appears in the genealogy of Genesis 5. He was the son of Mahalaleel, the father of Enoch, and the grandfather of …
  • JasonJason was a believer in Thessalonica who received Paul and his companions into his home during Paul's second missionary journey. When a riot broke ou…
  • JavanJavan was the fourth son of Japheth, the son of Noah, and appears in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. In the Old Testament his name is also used f…
  • JeconiahJeconiah, also called Jehoiachin and Coniah, was one of the last kings of Judah. After reigning for three months, he was taken captive to Babylon and…
  • JedaiahJedaiah was one of the returned exiles from Babylon mentioned in the Book of Zechariah. Together with Heldai and Tobijah, he was connected with the m…
  • JeduthunJeduthun was a Levite musician in the time of David who was responsible for praise in temple worship. With Asaph and Heman, he was one of three leade…
  • JehoahazJehoahaz was the eleventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the son of Jehu. According to 2 Kings 13, he suffered long oppression at the han…
  • Jehoahaz (King of Judah)Jehoahaz was a son of King Josiah of Judah. He came to the throne after his father's death and reigned for three months. Pharaoh Necho of Egypt depos…
  • Jehoash (King of Israel)Jehoash (also Joash) was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel and a member of the dynasty of Jehu. The son of Jehoahaz, he received from the dyin…
  • JehoiachinJehoiachin was a king of Judah who reigned for about three months before surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and being carried off to Ba…
  • JehoiadaJehoiada was a priest in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Athaliah and Joash. When Athaliah killed the royal family, he hid the you…
  • JehoiakimA king of Judah in the kingdom's final years and a son of Josiah. He was placed on the throne by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt and is known as the king who …
  • JehonadabJehonadab, the son of Rechab, joined Jehu, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, in his campaign to eradicate Baal worship. In the Book of Jeremiah…
  • JehoramJehoram is the name of two kings who reigned in the same period in the Old Testament: the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the son of Ahab, kin…
  • Jehoram (King of Judah)Jehoram was an Old Testament king of the southern kingdom of Judah, the son of Jehoshaphat and the husband of Athaliah, daughter of Ahab. His reign i…
  • JehoshabeathJehoshabeath was the daughter of King Jehoram of Judah and the wife of the priest Jehoiada. When Athaliah massacred the royal family, she hid the you…
  • JehoshaphatJehoshaphat was a king who reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah during the period of the divided monarchy. The son of Asa, he is known for orga…
  • JehoshebaJehosheba was the daughter of King Jehoram of Judah and the sister of King Ahaziah. When Athaliah killed the royal family, she hid the young Joash an…
  • JehozadakJehozadak was a priest of the Babylonian exile, a descendant of the high-priestly line, and the father of Joshua, the first high priest after the ret…
  • JehuJehu was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel in the late ninth century BC. Anointed by one of the sons of the prophets sent by Elisha, he wiped …
  • Jehu (son of Hanani)Jehu, the son of Hanani, was a prophet of the divided monarchy who announced the destruction of the house of Baasha, king of northern Israel, and reb…
  • Jehu son of HananiJehu son of Hanani was a prophet during the period of the divided kingdom. He pronounced judgment on Baasha, king of northern Israel, and rebuked Jeh…
  • JehudiJehudi was an official in the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. Sent by the princes, he summoned Baruch, and he later read aloud before the king the …
  • JehudijahJehudijah was the wife of Mered in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4:18 and the mother of Jered, Heber, and Jekuthiel.
  • Jeiel (Father of Gibeon)Jeiel is a Benjamite recorded in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles as "the father of Gibeon." He is an ancestor of the family that descends through Ner…
  • JephthahJephthah was a judge from Gilead in the Book of Judges. He is widely known for defeating the Ammonites and for losing his only daughter because of a …
  • Jephthah's DaughterJephthah's daughter was the only child of the judge Jephthah, whose story appears in Judges 11. She was given up because of a vow her father made bef…
  • JephunnehJephunneh is an Old Testament figure, the father of Caleb, the spy who gave a report of faith after the spying out of Canaan. Scripture mentions him …
  • JerahmeelJerahmeel was the firstborn son of Hezron of the tribe of Judah; his descendants are recorded at length in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2. The Jerah…
  • Jeremiah (Prophet)Jeremiah was an Old Testament prophet who ministered from the final years of the Kingdom of Judah into the early period of the Babylonian exile. He w…
  • Jeremiah (of Libnah)Jeremiah of Libnah was the father of Hamutal, the wife of King Josiah of Judah, and the maternal grandfather of Kings Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. He is a …
  • JeriahJeriah was a chief of the Hebronite clan of the tribe of Levi in the time of David. At David's command he led a family that oversaw the work of God a…
  • JerimothJerimoth is a Hebrew personal name found in the Old Testament books of Chronicles. This article focuses mainly on "Jerimoth the son of David" (2 Chro…
  • JeroboamJeroboam was the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, made king by the ten northern tribes when the kingdom divided after Solomon's death. B…
  • Jeroboam IIJeroboam II was the fourth king of the Jehu dynasty in the northern kingdom of Israel and the son of Joash. He recovered much lost territory and pres…
  • Jeshua (Levite)Jeshua was a leader of the Levites who returned from the Babylonian exile. He oversaw the rebuilding of the temple, and in the time of Nehemiah he he…
  • JesseJesse was a man of Bethlehem in the Old Testament, the son of Obed and the father of King David. Because of the prophecy of the "stem of Jesse" in Is…
  • Jesus Called JustusJesus called Justus was a Jewish coworker of Paul whom the apostle names in the closing greetings of the Epistle to the Colossians. He appears only o…
  • JetherJether was the firstborn son of the judge Gideon. In Judges 8 he appears as a youth whom his father commanded to kill Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kin…
  • JethroJethro is a priest of Midian in the Book of Exodus, the father-in-law of Moses and the father of Zipporah. In Exodus 2 he appears under the name Reue…
  • JeushJeush was a son of Esau by his wife Aholibamah. Genesis 36 records him as one of the chiefs of Edom.
  • JezaniahJezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah, was a military commander who led the remnant of the people immediately after Judah fell to Babylon. Together with Joha…
  • Jezreel (Son of Hosea)Jezreel was the firstborn son of the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer. His name, given by God himself, symbolizes both judgment on the royal house of…
  • Joah (Recorder under Hezekiah)Joah, the son of Asaph, was the recorder under King Hezekiah of Judah. When the Assyrian army threatened Jerusalem, he went out with Eliakim and Sheb…
  • JoannaJoanna is a woman mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward. She ministered to Jesus and his disciples out of her own means…
  • JoashJoash was a king of Judah who survived Athaliah's massacre of the royal family and came to the throne at the age of seven. He repaired the temple, bu…
  • Joash (Father of Gideon)Joash was a member of the Abiezrite clan of the tribe of Manasseh who appears in the Book of Judges as the father of the judge Gideon. He kept an alt…
  • JobJob is the central figure of the Book of Job, a righteous man who lived in the land of Uz. Amid suffering that cost him his possessions, his children…
  • Job's Three FriendsJob's three friends are Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, who appear in the Book of Job. They came to comfort Job …
  • JobabJobab is a figure in the list of Edomite kings in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1. The son of Zerah of Bozrah, he succeeded Bela as the second king of …
  • Jobab (King of Madon)Jobab was king of Madon, a city in northern Canaan. Summoned by Jabin king of Hazor, he joined the northern coalition and was defeated by the Israeli…
  • JochebedJochebed was the wife of Amram of the tribe of Levi and the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. She is known for hiding the infant Moses when Pharaoh…
  • Joel (Prophet)Joel was the prophet whose message is preserved in the Old Testament Book of Joel. Scripture identifies him only as "the son of Pethuel." He is known…
  • Johanan (son of Kareah)Johanan the son of Kareah was one of the military captains who remained in the land of Judah after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. He warned Governor Ge…
  • JohnJohn was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. He has traditionally been regarded as the author of the G…
  • John the BaptistJohn the Baptist was a Jewish prophet who came before Jesus Christ, calling people to repentance and baptizing in the Jordan River. The New Testament…
  • Joiada (Son of Eliashib)Joiada was a high priest in Jerusalem during the Persian period after the return from exile. He was the son and successor of the high priest Eliashib…
  • Joiakim (High Priest)Joiakim succeeded to the office of high priest in Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian exile. He was the son of the high priest Jeshua and …
  • JokshanJokshan was the second of the six sons born to Abraham by Keturah and the father of Sheba and Dedan. His name appears only in the genealogies of Gene…
  • JoktanJoktan was a son of Eber, a descendant of Shem, and the younger brother of Peleg. He appears with his thirteen sons in the Table of Nations in Genesi…
  • JonadabJonadab (Jehonadab), the son of Rechab, accompanied Jehu, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, in his purge of Baal worship and commanded his desc…
  • Jonadab (son of Shimeah)Jonadab was the son of Shimeah, David's brother. In 2 Samuel 13 he suggested to his cousin Amnon a scheme for luring Tamar to him. Later, when Absalo…
  • Jonah (Prophet)Jonah was an Israelite prophet and the central figure of the Old Testament Book of Jonah. He is known for fleeing from God's command, spending three …
  • JonathanJonathan was the eldest son of Saul, the first king of Israel. Recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel, he showed great courage in battle against the Philistines …
  • Jonathan (Grandson of Moses)Jonathan was a Levite of the period of the judges who is introduced in Judges 18:30 as "the son of Gershom" and the grandson of Moses. He became the …
  • Jonathan (Son of Shimeah)Jonathan was the son of Shimeah (Shammah), David's older brother, and thus David's nephew. He is recorded as having killed a giant with six fingers o…
  • Jonathan (son of Abiathar)Jonathan was the son of Abiathar, a priest in the time of David. During Absalom's rebellion he carried news from Jerusalem to David, and when Adonija…
  • Jonathan (son of Kareah)Jonathan, son of Kareah and brother of Johanan, was one of the captains of the forces of Judah who came to Gedaliah, governor of Judah, at Mizpah aft…
  • Joram (King of Israel)Joram was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel who appears in 2 Kings in the Old Testament. He was the son of Ahab and Jezebel. He was killed by …
  • Joseph (Husband of Mary)Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and a descendant of David who appears in the birth narratives of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke…
  • Joseph (Son of Jacob)Joseph is a figure in the Book of Genesis, the son of Jacob and Rachel. Sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, he rose to become the country's c…
  • Joseph BarsabbasJoseph Barsabbas was a disciple in the early church who was put forward, together with Matthias, as a candidate to fill the apostolic office left vac…
  • Joseph of ArimatheaJoseph of Arimathea was a member of the Jewish council who, after Jesus died on the cross, asked Pilate for the body and laid it in his own new tomb.…
  • Joseph of NazarethIn the New Testament, Joseph is the husband of Mary and the legal father of Jesus. He is presented as a descendant of David and is recorded as having…
  • JosesJoses is a figure in the Gospel of Mark, identified as the brother of James the Less. His mother, Mary, is recorded as one of the women who witnessed…
  • Josheb-basshebethJosheb-basshebeth was a Tahchemonite, the first of David's mighty men and chief of the captains, who is recorded as having slain eight hundred men at…
  • Joshua (High Priest)Joshua was the high priest who led the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian exile. The son of Jehozadak, he app…
  • Joshua (Son of Nun)Joshua was the Old Testament leader who succeeded Moses and led the people of Israel across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan. The son of Nun …
  • JosiahJosiah was a king of Judah in the Old Testament. Scripture records that, prompted by the discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple, he led a rel…
  • Josiah (son of Zephaniah)Josiah, the son of Zephaniah, owned the house where a group of returned exiles gathered. He appears in Zechariah 6:10 and is called "Hen" in Zecharia…
  • JothamJotham, the son of Uzziah, was a king of Judah who reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem in the mid-eighth century BC. Scripture assesses him as a king …
  • Jotham (son of Gideon)Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon (Jerubbaal) and appears in Judges 9. He alone survived when his brother Abimelech killed their brothers, and fr…
  • JozadakJozadak was the son of Seraiah, the high priest in Jerusalem just before the Babylonian exile. He was carried into captivity when Judah fell, and Scr…
  • JubalJubal is a descendant of Cain named in Genesis 4, the son of Lamech and Adah. Scripture describes him as "the father of all such as handle the harp a…
  • Judah (Son of Jacob)Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Davidic royal line descend…
  • Judas (of Damascus)Judas was a man whose house stood on the street called Straight in Damascus. Saul (Paul), blinded immediately after his conversion, stayed in his hou…
  • Judas BarsabasJudas Barsabas was a leader and prophet of the Jerusalem church mentioned in Acts 15. Together with Silas, he carried the letter containing the decis…
  • Judas BarsabbasJudas Barsabbas was a leader and prophet of the early Jerusalem church who appears in Acts 15. Together with Silas, he delivered to the church at Ant…
  • Judas Called BarsabasJudas called Barsabas was a leader of the Jerusalem church who, after the Council of Jerusalem, traveled with Silas to deliver the letter containing …
  • Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who handed Jesus over to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. His actions an…
  • Judas of GalileeJudas of Galilee is a figure mentioned by Gamaliel in Acts 5:37. According to the account, he rose up in the days of the taxing (the census) and drew…
  • Judas of GalileeJudas of Galilee was a Jew who led an uprising against a Roman census in the early first century AD. In Acts 5:37, Gamaliel cites him as an example o…
  • Jude (Brother of the Lord)Jude is a figure named in the New Testament as a brother of Jesus. He is traditionally identified with "Jude, the brother of James," the author of th…
  • JuliusJulius was a Roman army centurion mentioned in Acts 27. He was responsible for escorting Paul, then a prisoner, from Caesarea to Rome.
  • JuniaJunia was a member of the early church whom Paul greeted together with Andronicus in Romans 16:7. Interpreters disagree over whether the name is femi…

K 10

  • KadmielKadmiel is a Levitical family, or the head of that family, among the Levites who returned from the Babylonian exile. The name appears in Ezra and Neh…
  • Kedar (son of Ishmael)Kedar was the second son of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Scripture records him as the ancestor of an Arabian nomadic tribe that the Old Testament als…
  • KenanKenan was the son of Enosh, Adam's grandson, and the father of Mahalalel. He appears in the antediluvian genealogy of Genesis 5. In Luke's genealogy …
  • KenazKenaz is the name of several individuals in the Old Testament. The best known are a grandson of Esau who became a chief of Edom and the father of Oth…
  • KeturahKeturah was the wife Abraham took in the narrative that follows Sarah's death. She bore him six sons—Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shua…
  • KishKish was the father of Saul, the first king of Israel, and the son of Abiel of the tribe of Benjamin. Several other individuals of the same name also…
  • KohathKohath was the second son of Levi and the grandfather of Moses and Aaron. During the wilderness period his descendants, the Kohathites, were responsi…
  • KohathKohath was the second son of Levi, the son of Jacob, and the grandfather of Moses and Aaron. His descendants, the Kohathites, were responsible for ca…
  • KorahKorah was a Levite who, according to Numbers 16, joined Dathan and Abiram in challenging the authority of Moses and Aaron and was judged for it. His …
  • KoreKore was a Levite, the son of Imnah, who served during the reign of King Hezekiah of the southern kingdom of Judah. He was gatekeeper of the east gat…

L 22

  • LabanLaban was an Aramean of Haran who appears in the book of Genesis. The brother of Rebekah, the uncle of Jacob, and the father of Leah and Rachel, he k…
  • LahmiLahmi is a Philistine mentioned in 1 Chronicles 20:5. He is identified as the brother of Goliath the Gittite and is recorded as having been killed by…
  • LamechLamech is an antediluvian figure in Genesis who, in the line of Seth, was the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah. Genesis 4 also mentions anoth…
  • Lamech (Descendant of Cain)Lamech is a descendant of Cain who appears in Genesis 4 and belongs to the seventh generation from Adam. He is known for taking two wives and for the…
  • LapidothLapidoth is an Old Testament figure in the book of Judges, the husband of Deborah, the prophetess and judge. The Bible mentions him by name only once…
  • LazarusLazarus was a man of Bethany mentioned in the Gospel of John and the brother of Martha and Mary. He is known as the man whom Jesus raised from the de…
  • LemuelLemuel is a king named in Proverbs 31 who passed on the instruction he received from his mother. He appears nowhere else in the Bible, and neither th…
  • Levi (Son of Jacob)Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Moses and Aaron, as well as the L…
  • LibniLibni was an Old Testament figure, a grandson of Levi and the firstborn son of Gershon, who became the ancestor of the Libnite family among the Levit…
  • LinusLinus was a Roman Christian whose name appears in the closing greetings of 2 Timothy 4:21. He is mentioned only once in Scripture, and early church t…
  • Lo-ammiLo-ammi was the third child, a son, born to the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer. His name means "not my people" in Hebrew. A symbolic name expressin…
  • Lo-ruhamahLo-ruhamah was the daughter of the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer and appears in Hosea 1. Her name means "not having obtained mercy" and symbolizes…
  • LoisLois is a woman mentioned in the New Testament book of 2 Timothy as the maternal grandmother of Timothy and the mother of Eunice. Paul wrote that the…
  • Lois and EuniceLois and Eunice were New Testament women, the grandmother and mother of Timothy, the apostle Paul's coworker. In 2 Timothy 1:5 they are named as the …
  • LotLot is the nephew of Abraham in the Book of Genesis. He lived in Sodom, was rescued when the city was destroyed, and is recorded as the ancestor of t…
  • Lot's DaughtersLot's daughters are the two daughters of Lot who appear in Genesis 19. They escaped with their father when Sodom was destroyed and later bore sons by…
  • Lot's WifeLot's wife, the wife of Abraham's nephew Lot, appears in Genesis 19. During the destruction of Sodom she disregarded the angels' warning, looked back…
  • LuciusLucius was a companion of the apostle Paul who was with him when he wrote the Epistle to the Romans and who sent greetings to the church in Rome. Pau…
  • Lucius of CyreneLucius is a figure of the early church named in Acts 13:1 as one of the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch. He was from Cyrene in North A…
  • LukeLuke was a first-century coworker of Paul who is called "the beloved physician" in the Pauline epistles. Church tradition regards him as the author o…
  • LydiaLydia was a seller of purple cloth from Thyatira who appears in Acts 16. After hearing Paul speak in Philippi, she was baptized together with her hou…
  • LysaniasLysanias is a figure named once in Scripture, in Luke 3:1, as tetrarch of Abilene. He appears in the chronological notice that dates the beginning of…

M 62

  • MaachahMaachah was the wife of Rehoboam, king of Judah, and the mother of Abijah (Abijam). During the reign of King Asa, she was removed from her position a…
  • MachirMachir was the firstborn son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, and the father of Gilead. His name also designates a branch of the tribe of Manasseh (th…
  • MadaiMadai, the third son of Noah's son Japheth, appears in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1. He is traditionally regarded as the ancestor…
  • MagiThe Magi were men from the East who, at the time of Jesus' birth, saw a star, came to worship the infant Jesus, and presented him with gold, frankinc…
  • MagogMagog was a grandson of Noah and a son of Japheth, named in the genealogies of Genesis and 1 Chronicles. In Ezekiel and Revelation, his name is used …
  • MahalalelMahalalel is an antediluvian figure in the genealogy of Genesis 5. In the line of Seth, he is the son of Kenan and the father of Jared. Scripture rec…
  • MahalathMahalath is the name of two women in the Old Testament. It most often refers to the wife of Rehoboam, king of Judah, who was a granddaughter of David…
  • Maher-shalal-hash-bazMaher-shalal-hash-baz was a son of the prophet Isaiah and appears in Isaiah 8. His name, meaning "plunder comes swiftly, spoil comes speedily," serve…
  • MahlahMahlah is the first named of the five daughters of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh. Together with her sisters, she asked Moses to let them receiv…
  • Mahli (Son of Merari)Mahli was a grandson of Levi and a son of Merari, and the ancestor of the Levitical clan of the Mahlites. His name appears in the genealogies and lis…
  • MahlonMahlon is a figure from the period of the judges who appears in the Book of Ruth. He was the son of Elimelech and Naomi of Bethlehem and the first hu…
  • Mahlon and ChilionMahlon and Chilion are the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi in the Book of Ruth. During the period of the judges they moved with their family to Moab …
  • Malachi (Prophet)Malachi is the prophet whose name is attached to Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. His name appears only once in the Bible, in Malachi 1:1…
  • Malchiah (Son of Rechab)Malchiah, the son of Rechab, was the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem in the time of Nehemiah. During the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem…
  • MalchijahMalchijah is a Hebrew name borne by several different people in the Old Testament books of 1 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Jeremiah. Nehemiah 3 nam…
  • MalchusMalchus was the servant of the high priest whose right ear Peter cut off with a sword when Jesus Christ was arrested in Gethsemane. His name appears …
  • ManaenManaen is an early church figure named in Acts 13:1 as one of the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch. He is described as one "which had b…
  • ManassehManasseh was an Old Testament king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah. He reigned for fifty-five years and is recorded as a wicked king who promoted id…
  • Manasseh (son of Joseph)Manasseh was the firstborn son of Joseph, born in Egypt. Adopted by Jacob as his own son, he became the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel. He i…
  • ManoahManoah is a man of the tribe of Dan in the Old Testament Book of Judges and the father of the judge Samson. He and his wife received from the angel o…
  • MaochMaoch is a figure named only once in Scripture, in 1 Samuel 27:2, as the father of Achish, the king of Gath with whom David took refuge while fleeing…
  • MarkMark is a figure of the early church who appears in the New Testament book of Acts and in the Epistles. In Acts he is called "John, whose surname was…
  • Martha and MaryMartha and Mary are sisters from Bethany in the New Testament and the sisters of Lazarus. They are known for welcoming Jesus into their home, for the…
  • MaryMary is the woman presented in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus Christ. Protestants and Catholics both confess the virgin birth, but they dif…
  • Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was a woman disciple who followed Jesus from the time of his Galilean ministry. All four Gospels record that she witnessed the crucifi…
  • Mary the Mother of JamesOne of the women who followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to him, she witnessed his crucifixion and burial and went to the empty tomb on the mo…
  • Mary, Mother of MarkMary, the mother of Mark, was a member of the Jerusalem church mentioned in Acts 12. She owned the house to which Peter went after his release from p…
  • Mary, Wife of ClopasMary, the wife of Clopas, was one of the women who stood by Jesus at his crucifixion. A New Testament figure, she appears under this name only in Joh…
  • Mattaniah (Son of Micah)Mattaniah was a Levite descended from Asaph who lived in Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian exile. He was the leader who began the thanks…
  • MatthewMatthew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, a tax collector who was called to become a disciple. The Gospels of Mark and Luke call the s…
  • MatthiasMatthias was chosen by lot to fill the place left vacant by Judas Iscariot and was numbered with the eleven apostles. In Scripture he appears only in…
  • Medium of EndorThe medium of Endor is a woman in 1 Samuel 28 who was said to call up the spirits of the dead. According to the biblical account, she called up the d…
  • MehujaelMehujael is a figure in the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4. He was Cain's great-grandson, the son of Irad, and the father of Methusael. Scripture rec…
  • MelchizedekMelchizedek is the king of Salem and "priest of the most high God" who appears in Genesis 14. He blessed Abraham and received a tithe from him, and t…
  • MemucanMemucan is one of the seven princes of the Persian king Ahasuerus who appear in Esther 1. He advised the king to depose Queen Vashti and to issue a r…
  • MenahemMenahem was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel in the mid-eighth century BC. He came to the throne by killing Shallum, reigned ten years in Sam…
  • MephiboshethMephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul and the son of Jonathan, became lame in both feet as a child. He appears in 2 Samuel and is best known for th…
  • MerabMerab was the elder daughter of Saul, the first king of Israel. An Old Testament figure, she was promised to David as his wife but was instead given …
  • MerariMerari was the third son of Levi, the son of Jacob. His descendants, the Merarites, became the Levitical clan responsible during the wilderness perio…
  • MeredMered is a man named in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 4, where he is identified as a son of Ezrah. He is recorded as having mar…
  • MeremothMeremoth was a priest who served in Jerusalem after the return from exile. The son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz, he received the temple silver and…
  • Merodach-baladanMerodach-baladan was a king of Babylon who sent envoys and a present to Judah after hearing that Hezekiah had recovered from his illness. He appears …
  • MeshaMesha was a king of Moab around the ninth century BC. He paid tribute to the northern kingdom of Israel but rebelled after the death of Ahab. He appe…
  • MeshechMeshech is listed in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 as a son of Japheth. The name also designates the people and region descended from him, and i…
  • MeshelemiahMeshelemiah was a Levitical temple gatekeeper of the Korahite line in the time of David, the son of Kore and the father of Zechariah. He appears in 1…
  • MeshullamMeshullam is a man in Nehemiah 3 of the Old Testament who took part in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Several other people with the same name app…
  • MethusaelMethusael is a figure in the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4, the son of Mehujael and the father of Lamech. His name appears only once in the Bible.
  • MethuselahMethuselah is an antediluvian figure in the genealogy of Genesis 5, the son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah. Having lived 969 years, he is recor…
  • Micah (Ephraimite)Micah was a man from the hill country of Ephraim who appears in Judges 17–18. He kept a graven image and a shrine in his house and hired a Levite as …
  • Micah (Prophet)Micah was a prophet active in Judah in the late eighth century BC, whose prophecies are preserved in the Old Testament Book of Micah. He denounced th…
  • Micah (son of Mephibosheth)Micah was the son of Mephibosheth (Merib-baal), the grandson of Saul. His name appears in 2 Samuel 9 and in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 8 and 9, …
  • MicaiahMicaiah, the son of Imlah, was a prophet in the time of Ahab, king of Israel. When four hundred prophets predicted victory, he alone prophesied Ahab'…
  • MichalMichal was the younger daughter of Saul, the first king of Israel, and the first wife of David. She appears in 1 and 2 Samuel and is known for helpin…
  • Midian (Son of Abraham)Midian was a son of Abraham and Keturah and is recorded as the ancestor of the Midianites, who appear frequently in the Old Testament (Genesis 25:2–4…
  • MilcahMilcah is a woman in the Book of Genesis, the daughter of Haran and the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. She was the mother of Bethuel and the grand…
  • MiriamMiriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron and a prophetess who, according to Exodus, took up a timbrel and sang with the women after the crossing of t…
  • Mishael (son of Uzziel)Mishael was a son of Uzziel, a Kohathite of the tribe of Levi, and a cousin of Moses and Aaron. When Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu died, he and his br…
  • MithredathMithredath is a Persian personal name found in the Book of Ezra. Two individuals bear this name: the treasurer of King Cyrus, who handed over the tem…
  • MolidMolid is a figure in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2. He was the son of Abishur, a descendant of Jerahmeel, and Abishur's wife …
  • MordecaiMordecai was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin who appears in the Old Testament Book of Esther. He raised his cousin Esther, thwarted Haman's plot to ma…
  • MosesMoses is the Old Testament leader and prophet who led the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and received and delivered God's law at Mount Sina…
  • MushiMushi was the second son of Merari, the son of Levi. He was the ancestor of the Levitical "family of the Mushites," and his name appears in the genea…

N 34

  • NaamahNaamah was a wife of Solomon and the mother of Rehoboam, king of Judah. First Kings and Second Chronicles identify her as an Ammonite. A different wo…
  • Naamah (Daughter of Lamech)Naamah is a woman named in the genealogy of Cain in Genesis 4. She was the daughter of Lamech and Zillah and the sister of Tubal-cain. The Bible ment…
  • NaamanNaaman was the commander of the army of Aram described in 2 Kings 5. Afflicted with leprosy, he was healed after washing seven times in the Jordan Ri…
  • NabalNabal was a wealthy man from Maon, described in 1 Samuel 25, who insultingly refused David's request. He escaped David's retaliation through the inte…
  • NabothNaboth was a Jezreelite who appears in 1 Kings 21. He refused to sell his ancestral vineyard to King Ahab and, through a scheme devised by Jezebel, w…
  • Nadab (King of Israel)Nadab was the son of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He succeeded his father and reigned for two years before being assas…
  • Nadab and AbihuNadab and Abihu were the eldest and second sons of Aaron. Appointed as priests, they offered incense with "strange fire," which the LORD had not comm…
  • NahashNahash was king of the Ammonites in the time of Saul and David. He besieged Jabesh-gilead and was defeated by Saul. After his death, David sent envoy…
  • NahathNahath was a son of Reuel, the son of Esau, and is recorded in Genesis 36 as one of the chiefs of Edom.
  • NahorNahor is the name of two members of Abraham's family in the Book of Genesis: Abraham's grandfather (the father of Terah) and Abraham's brother (the s…
  • NahshonNahshon was the leader of the tribe of Judah during the wilderness period after the Exodus. The son of Amminadab and the brother-in-law of Aaron, he …
  • Nahum (Prophet)Nahum is a prophet from Elkosh, identified as the author of the Old Testament Book of Nahum. He appears in Scripture only in Nahum 1:1 and prophesied…
  • NaomiNaomi is a woman from Bethlehem who appears in the Old Testament Book of Ruth. After losing her husband and two sons in Moab, she returned to her hom…
  • NaphtaliNaphtali was the son of Jacob by Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, and the ancestor of the tribe of Naphtali, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tri…
  • NarcissusNarcissus is a person mentioned by Paul in the greetings of Romans 16:11. Paul sends greetings not to Narcissus himself but to those of his household…
  • Nathan (Prophet)Nathan was a prophet of Israel during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. He delivered the promise that David's dynasty would endure forever, …
  • NathanaelNathanael was a disciple of Jesus who appears in the Gospel of John. A native of Cana in Galilee, he was introduced to Jesus by Philip and confessed …
  • NebaiothNebaioth was the firstborn son of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. His sister became the wife of Esau, and in the Book of Isaiah his name designates the …
  • NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar was king of the Babylonian (Neo-Babylonian) Empire. He destroyed Jerusalem and its temple and carried the people of Judah into captivi…
  • NebuzaradanNebuzaradan was the captain of the guard under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. At the fall of Judah he burned the temple and the city of Jerusalem a…
  • NechoNecho was a king (pharaoh) of Egypt in the late seventh century BC. After King Josiah of Judah died at Megiddo in an encounter with him, Necho replac…
  • Nehemiah (person)Nehemiah was an Old Testament figure who served as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes and later became governor of Judah. Together with the com…
  • NehushtaNehushta was the mother of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), king of Judah, and the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. In the early sixth century BC she was car…
  • NephegNepheg is a Levite mentioned in Exodus 6:21. He was a son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, and a brother of Korah and Zichri. Scripture records only his …
  • NerNer was a Benjamite of the house of King Saul and the father of Abner, the commander of Saul's army. First Samuel identifies him as Saul's uncle, whi…
  • Nergal-sharezerNergal-sharezer was a Babylonian official mentioned in Jeremiah 39. When Jerusalem fell, he sat in the middle gate of the city, and he took part in r…
  • NeriahNeriah is a figure in the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. He was the son of Maaseiah and the father of Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, and of Seraiah, an …
  • NethaniahNethaniah was the son of Elishama, a member of the royal family in the final years of the kingdom of Judah. He was the father of Ishmael, who assassi…
  • NicodemusNicodemus is a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews who appears only in the Gospel of John. He came to Jesus by night and spoke with him about being born…
  • NicolasNicolas was one of the seven men chosen by the church in Jerusalem in Acts 6 to oversee the distribution of relief. He was a native of Antioch who ha…
  • NimrodNimrod is a son of Cush and grandson of Ham who appears in Genesis 10. The Bible describes him as one who "began to be a mighty one in the earth" and…
  • NoadiahNoadiah was a prophetess who tried to intimidate Nehemiah while he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. She is named only once in Scripture, in Neh…
  • NoahNoah is a figure in the Old Testament Book of Genesis who, at God's command, built an ark and survived the Great Flood with his family and the animal…
  • NymphaNympha was an early Christian mentioned only once, in Colossians 4:15, who opened her home in the Laodicea region as a meeting place for the church. …

O 17

  • Obadiah (Prophet)Obadiah is the prophet traditionally credited with writing the Old Testament Book of Obadiah. He prophesied the judgment of Edom and the restoration …
  • Obadiah (Steward of Ahab's Household)Obadiah was the official in charge of the royal household of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. When Jezebel was killing the prophets of th…
  • ObedObed is the son of Boaz and Ruth in the Book of Ruth. He was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, and his name also appears in the genea…
  • Obed-edomObed-edom was the owner of the house where the Ark of the Covenant remained for three months during the reign of King David. Scripture records that G…
  • OdedOded was a prophet active in Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He rebuked the army of I…
  • OgOg was the king who ruled the region of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, toward the end of the Exodus era. According to Numbers and Deuteronomy, he …
  • OholiabOholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, appears in the Book of Exodus. With Bezalel, he was one of the craftsmen who made the tabernacle a…
  • OholibamahOholibamah was a wife of Esau mentioned in Genesis 36. The daughter of Anah the Hivite, she bore three sons, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah, who became chi…
  • OmriOmri was the sixth king of the northern kingdom of Israel. A former army commander, he rose to the throne, founded Samaria as his capital, and establ…
  • On (Son of Peleth)On was a son of Peleth of the tribe of Reuben. Numbers 16:1 names him as one of the group that, together with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, rose up agai…
  • OnanOnan was the second son of Judah, the son of Jacob. He refused the duty of raising up offspring for his deceased elder brother Er through his brother…
  • OnesiphorusOnesiphorus was an early Christian mentioned in 2 Timothy who sought out and cared for Paul while the apostle was imprisoned in Rome. Paul prayed tha…
  • OrebOreb was one of the two princes (leaders) of Midian who were captured and killed by the men of Ephraim during the judge Gideon's war against Midian. …
  • Oreb and ZeebOreb and Zeeb were two princes (commanders) of Midian who were captured and killed by the men of Ephraim when Gideon defeated the Midianites during t…
  • OrpahOrpah is a Moabite woman in the Book of Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi and the sister-in-law of Ruth. After her husband's death, she heeded her m…
  • OsnapparOsnappar is a figure mentioned only once, in Ezra 4:10, where he is described as the "great and noble" one who resettled various peoples in Samaria a…
  • OthnielOthniel is the first judge in the Old Testament Book of Judges. The son of Kenaz and a member of Caleb's family, he delivered Israel from Cushan-rish…

P 43

  • PaltiPalti, the son of Laish, was the man to whom King Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, in marriage. In 2 Samuel he is also called Paltiel.
  • PashurPashur was a priest who served as chief officer of the Temple in Jerusalem during the last years of the Kingdom of Judah. He struck the prophet Jerem…
  • Pashur (son of Malchiah)Pashur son of Malchiah was a high official of Judah during the reign of King Zedekiah. At the king's request he asked Jeremiah to pray for the city, …
  • PaulPaul was an apostle of the early church. A Jewish Pharisee who had persecuted the church, he was converted and devoted himself to mission among the G…
  • PedaiahPedaiah was a son of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), king of Judah, and appears in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 3. First Chronicles 3:19 records him as the f…
  • PekahPekah, the son of Remaliah, became king of the northern kingdom of Israel through a coup. His alliance with Rezin king of Aram against Judah forms th…
  • PekahiahPekahiah was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel who succeeded his father Menahem and reigned in Samaria for two years before he was killed in a…
  • PelatiahPelatiah, the son of Benaiah, appears in the Book of Ezekiel as one of the princes, or high officials, of the people of Jerusalem. Scripture records …
  • PelegPeleg is a son of Eber in the genealogy of Shem in Genesis. His name is accompanied by the explanation that "in his days was the earth divided," and …
  • PeninnahPeninnah is one of the two wives of Elkanah in 1 Samuel 1. Scripture portrays her as the "adversary" who provoked the childless Hannah year after yea…
  • PerezPerez was one of the twin sons born to Judah and Tamar. He is recorded in the genealogies of Ruth and Matthew 1 as an ancestor of David and of Jesus …
  • PersisPersis was a woman of the early church whom the apostle Paul, in the greetings of Romans 16, describes as "the beloved Persis, which laboured much in…
  • PeterPeter, originally named Simon, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. A fisherman from Galilee, he became a leader of the early church in J…
  • PhaltielPhaltiel was the second husband of Michal, the daughter of Saul. Saul took Michal from David and gave her to him; according to 2 Samuel, she was late…
  • PharaohPharaoh is a title for the kings of ancient Egypt. Several pharaohs appear in the Bible, the best known being the king in Exodus who refused to let I…
  • Pharaoh HophraPharaoh Hophra was a king of Egypt during the final years of the kingdom of Judah. He is named only once in the Bible, in Jeremiah 44:30, and is know…
  • Pharaoh NechoPharaoh Necho was a king of Egypt who pressed hard upon Judah in the late seventh century BC. He killed King Josiah of Judah at Megiddo, deposed and …
  • Pharaoh's DaughterPharaoh's daughter is the Egyptian princess in Exodus 2 who drew the infant Moses out from among the reeds of the Nile and raised him as her own son.…
  • PhicholPhichol was the chief captain of the army of Abimelech, king of Gerar, in the Book of Genesis. He was present with Abimelech at Beersheba when covena…
  • Philemon and OnesimusPhilemon, the recipient of Paul's Epistle to Philemon, was a Christian in whose house a church met. Onesimus, his slave, became a Christian through P…
  • PhiletusPhiletus was a figure in the early church named alongside Hymenaeus in 2 Timothy 2:17. Scripture records that he taught "that the resurrection is pas…
  • PhilipPhilip is the name of two figures in the New Testament: Philip the Apostle, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, and Philip the Evangelist, one of t…
  • Philip (Husband of Herodias)Philip was a son of Herod the Great and the first husband of Herodias. Herodias left him to marry his brother Herod Antipas, and this marriage formed…
  • Philip the EvangelistPhilip the Evangelist appears in the Acts of the Apostles as one of "the seven" chosen in the early Jerusalem church. He preached the gospel in Samar…
  • Philip the TetrarchPhilip the Tetrarch was a son of Herod the Great who ruled as tetrarch over Ituraea and Trachonitis, the region northeast of the Sea of Galilee. In t…
  • Philip the TetrarchPhilip the Tetrarch was a son of Herod the Great who ruled the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis northeast of the Sea of Galilee. He is named in Luke…
  • Philippian JailerThe Philippian jailer was the keeper of the prison at Philippi who, in Acts 16, held Paul and Silas in custody and, after a midnight earthquake, was …
  • PhinehasPhinehas was an Israelite priest, the grandson of Aaron and the son of Eleazar. Scripture records that he received a "covenant of peace" for turning …
  • PhoebePhoebe was a woman believer of the church at Cenchreae whom Paul commended to the church in Rome in Romans 16. Although she appears only once in Scri…
  • Phygelus and HermogenesPhygelus and Hermogenes are two men named in 2 Timothy 1:15. Of those in the Roman province of Asia who "turned away" from Paul, they are the two who…
  • Pilate's WifePilate's wife was the wife of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who presided over the trial of Jesus. She appears only in Matthew 27:19, where, beca…
  • PiramPiram was the king of the Canaanite city of Jarmuth mentioned in Joshua 10. He joined the coalition of five Amorite kings led by Adonizedek, king of …
  • Pontius PilatePontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea who tried Jesus Christ and sentenced him to crucifixion. He appears in all four Gospels, and his name …
  • PotipharPotiphar is an Egyptian who appears in the Book of Genesis. An officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard, he bought Joseph, who had been sold into …
  • Potiphar's WifePotiphar's wife is an Egyptian woman in Genesis 39 who tried to seduce Joseph, her husband's servant, and, when he refused her, falsely accused him a…
  • PotipherahPotipherah is a priest of On in Egypt mentioned in Genesis. He was the father of Asenath, the wife of Joseph, and the maternal grandfather of Manasse…
  • Priscilla and AquilaPriscilla (Prisca) and Aquila were a Jewish Christian married couple in the New Testament who worked as tentmakers alongside Paul and opened their ho…
  • Puah (Father of Tola)Puah is a man of the tribe of Issachar mentioned in Judges 10:1, the son of Dodo and the father of the judge Tola. Scripture records only his name an…
  • PubliusPublius is the "chief man of the island" of Melita (Malta) mentioned in Acts 28. He hosted the shipwrecked Paul and his companions for three days, an…
  • PudensPudens was a Christian who, together with Paul, sent greetings to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:21. He is named only once in the Bible.
  • PurahPurah was Gideon's servant in the Old Testament Book of Judges. On the night before the battle against Midian, he went down with Gideon close to the …
  • PuvahPuvah was the second son of Issachar and a grandson of Jacob. He was the ancestor of the Punite family within the tribe of Issachar, one of the twelv…
  • PyrrhusPyrrhus was a man of Berea who is named in Acts 20:4 only as the father of Sopater, one of Paul's traveling companions. He appears once in Scripture,…

Q 3

  • QuartusQuartus is a Christian who, together with Paul, sends greetings to the church in Rome in Romans 16:23. He appears only in this one passage of Scriptu…
  • Queen of ShebaThe Queen of Sheba was a foreign queen who, having heard reports of Solomon's wisdom, came to Jerusalem and tested him with hard questions. Jesus cal…
  • QuiriniusQuirinius (Cyrenius in the KJV) was the Roman official whom Luke 2:2 records as governor of Syria when the Roman emperor issued his decree of enrollm…

R 22

  • RaamahRaamah is a figure in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10: a son of Cush, a grandson of Noah's son Ham, and the father of Sheba and Dedan. In the Book…
  • RabshakehRabshakeh was a high-ranking official whom Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent to Hezekiah, king of Judah. He is known for a speech before the walls o…
  • Rachel and LeahRachel and Leah are the two daughters of Laban in the Book of Genesis. The sisters both became wives of Jacob and the mothers of the ancestors of the…
  • RahabRahab is a woman of Jericho in the Old Testament book of Joshua (chapters 2 and 6) who hid the Israelite spies and was saved together with her family…
  • RamRam was an Old Testament figure of the tribe of Judah, the son of Hezron and the father of Amminadab. His name appears in the genealogies of David in…
  • RebekahRebekah is the wife of Isaac in the Book of Genesis and the mother of the twin brothers Esau and Jacob. A granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother, …
  • RehabiahRehabiah was the only son of Eliezer, the son of Moses, and appears in the Levitical genealogies of 1 Chronicles. The text records that his descendan…
  • RehobRehob was the father of Hadadezer, the Aramean king of Zobah who fought against David. He appears only by name, twice, in 2 Samuel 8.
  • RehoboamRehoboam, the son of Solomon, inherited the united kingdom of Israel but became the first king of the southern kingdom of Judah after the ten norther…
  • RehumRehum was a Persian provincial official mentioned in Ezra 4. With Shimshai the scribe, he sent a letter to King Artaxerxes that brought the rebuildin…
  • Rehum and ShimshaiRehum and Shimshai were officials who served in the region of Samaria during the Persian period. According to Ezra 4, they sent a letter to King Arta…
  • RemaliahRemaliah was the father of Pekah, king of the northern kingdom of Israel. His name appears in Scripture only within the phrase "Pekah the son of Rema…
  • ReuReu is a figure in the genealogy of Shem in Genesis 11. He was the son of Peleg, the father of Serug, and the great-great-grandfather of Abraham. In …
  • ReubenReuben was the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Reuben, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Scripture records that he…
  • Reuel (son of Esau)Reuel was a son of Esau and his wife Bashemath. He appears in the genealogies of Esau in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1, and his four sons became chie…
  • RezinRezin is generally regarded as the last king of Aram, whose capital was Damascus, in the late eighth century BC. He allied with Pekah, king of the no…
  • RezonRezon was an Aramean who, in the time of David, fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, gathered a band of men, became king in Damascus, and was an advers…
  • RhodaRhoda was a young girl in Jerusalem who appears in Acts 12. When Peter, newly released from prison, knocked at the gate of the house of Mary the moth…
  • Rich Young RulerThe rich young ruler is a man in the Synoptic Gospels who asked Jesus how to obtain eternal life. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give t…
  • RizpahRizpah was the daughter of Aiah and a concubine of King Saul. She is known from 2 Samuel 21 for guarding the bodies of her two executed sons and of S…
  • RufusRufus appears in the Gospel of Mark as a son of Simon of Cyrene, the man compelled to carry the cross of Jesus. Scholars differ on whether he is the …
  • RuthRuth is a Moabite woman and the central figure of the Old Testament Book of Ruth. She followed her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem, married Boaz, an…

S 86

  • SalmonSalmon is an Old Testament figure of the tribe of Judah, the son of Nahshon and the father of Boaz. His name appears in the genealogies of Ruth and 1…
  • SalomeSalome was a woman disciple who followed Jesus from Galilee. According to the Gospel of Mark, she watched the crucifixion and went to the tomb with s…
  • SaluSalu is a man of the tribe of Simeon mentioned in the Book of Numbers. He was the father of Zimri, who was killed along with a Midianite woman during…
  • Samaritan WomanThe Samaritan woman is an unnamed woman in John 4 who spoke with Jesus at Jacob's well near the Samaritan town of Sychar and then told the people of …
  • SamsonSamson was a judge of Israel in the Old Testament book of Judges. Born a Nazarite, he fought against the Philistines. Renowned for his great strength…
  • SamuelSamuel was the last judge of Israel and a prophet whose life is recounted in 1 Samuel. Born in answer to Hannah's prayer and raised under the priest …
  • SanballatSanballat was a Horonite in the Book of Nehemiah who repeatedly obstructed the Jews who had returned from the Babylonian exile as they rebuilt the wa…
  • SapphiraSapphira was a member of the early church in Jerusalem who appears in Acts 5. With her husband Ananias, she kept back part of the price of a piece of…
  • SarahSarah is the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac in the Book of Genesis. Originally named Sarai, she remained childless into old age and, accordi…
  • SargonSargon, known to scholars as Sargon II, was a king who ruled Assyria in the late eighth century BC. His name appears only once in the Bible, in Isaia…
  • SaulSaul was the first king of Israel, whose story appears in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel. He was the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin. Anoint…
  • ScevaSceva was a Jewish priest (or high priest) mentioned in Acts 19. He is known for an incident in Ephesus in which his seven sons tried, and failed, to…
  • SecundusSecundus was a Christian from Thessalonica who is mentioned only once in Scripture, in Acts 20:4. He was one of the companions, along with Aristarchu…
  • SegubSegub was the youngest son of Hiel the Bethelite, who rebuilt Jericho during the reign of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He died when h…
  • SennacheribSennacherib was a king of Assyria in the late eighth and early seventh centuries BC. During the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah, he invaded Judah and…
  • Serah (Daughter of Asher)Serah was the daughter of Asher, son of Jacob. She is named only in the genealogies of Genesis 46, Numbers 26, and 1 Chronicles 7, and later Jewish t…
  • SeraiahSeraiah was a high priest in the final years of the Kingdom of Judah who was executed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, after the fall of Jerusalem…
  • Sergius PaulusSergius Paulus was the Roman proconsul of Cyprus mentioned in Acts 13. He sought to hear the word of God from Barnabas and Saul (Paul), and Scripture…
  • SerugSerug is a figure in the genealogy of Shem in Genesis 11. He was the son of Reu, the father of Nahor, and the great-grandfather of Abraham. His name …
  • SethSeth was the third son of Adam and Eve. Born in place of Abel, whom Cain had killed, he stands at the head of the genealogy in Genesis 5 that leads t…
  • ShaashgazShaashgaz was a eunuch of the Persian king Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther. He had charge of the "second house of the women," where the women who had…
  • ShadrachShadrach, originally named Hananiah, is a man of Judah in the Book of Daniel. One of Daniel's three friends, he refused with Meshach and Abednego to …
  • Shadrach, Meshach, and AbednegoShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were young men of Judah taken captive to Babylon and the three companions of Daniel. They refused to bow down to King…
  • ShallumShallum was the fifteenth king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He killed King Zechariah, seized the throne, and reigned in Samaria for one month b…
  • ShalmaneserShalmaneser was an Assyrian king of the late eighth century BC who, according to 2 Kings, received tribute from Hoshea, the last king of the northern…
  • ShamgarShamgar is a figure from the period of the judges recorded in the Book of Judges. Coming after Ehud, he is said to have delivered Israel by killing s…
  • Shammah (son of Jesse)Shammah was the third son of Jesse of Bethlehem and an older brother of David. He appears as one of the sons whom God did not choose when Samuel anoi…
  • Shammai (son of Onam)Shammai was a member of the Jerahmeelite clan of the tribe of Judah, the son of Onam and the father of Nadab and Abishur. His name appears only in th…
  • ShaphanShaphan was a scribe in the reign of King Josiah of Judah. He read before the king the Book of the Law found during the repair of the Temple and thus…
  • SharezerSharezer is a son of the Assyrian king Sennacherib mentioned in the Old Testament. With his brother Adrammelech, he killed his father with the sword …
  • ShealtielShealtiel is a biblical figure recorded as the son of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), the king of Judah who was carried captive to Babylon, and as the father …
  • Shear-jashubShear-jashub was a son of the prophet Isaiah whose Hebrew name means "a remnant shall return." Isaiah 7 records that he accompanied his father to mee…
  • Sheba (Son of Bichri)Sheba son of Bichri was a Benjamite who appears in 2 Samuel 20. Shortly after Absalom's rebellion, he rose up against David but was killed by the inh…
  • Sheba (son of Bichri)Sheba, a Benjaminite and the son of Bichri, lived in the time of King David. Shortly after Absalom's rebellion ended, he incited the tribes of Israel…
  • ShebnaShebna was a high-ranking official under King Hezekiah of Judah who served as scribe in the delegation that negotiated with the Assyrian commander Ra…
  • ShebuelShebuel was a Levite in the time of David and the chief among the descendants of Gershom, the son of Moses. First Chronicles records him as the offic…
  • ShechaniahShechaniah was the son of Jehiel, of the descendants of Elam, in the time of Ezra. Repenting of marriages to foreign women, he proposed to Ezra that …
  • Shechem (Son of Hamor)Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite and chief of the city of Shechem, appears in Genesis 34. After violating Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, he asked …
  • SheerahSheerah is a woman named in the genealogy of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7. She is recorded as the builder of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheera…
  • Shelah (Son of Arphaxad)Shelah is a descendant of Shem named in the genealogies of Genesis. He was the son of Arphaxad and the father of Eber, and he forms one link in the l…
  • Shelah (Son of Judah)Shelah was the third son of Judah, the son of Jacob, by the daughter of Shua the Canaanite. After the deaths of his brothers Er and Onan, he was next…
  • ShelomithShelomith is a Hebrew name in the Old Testament borne by several different people recorded in Leviticus, Chronicles, and Ezra. The name was used for …
  • ShelomothShelomoth was a Levite of David's time and a descendant of Eliezer, the son of Moses. With his brothers, he was in charge of the treasuries of the de…
  • Shem, Ham, and JaphethShem, Ham, and Japheth were the three sons of Noah. After surviving the Flood, they are presented in Genesis 10 as the ancestors of many nations. The…
  • ShemaiahShemaiah was a prophet in the reign of Rehoboam, the first king of the southern kingdom of Judah. He delivered the word of God that prevented war wit…
  • ShemeberShemeber was the king of Zeboiim mentioned in Genesis 14. In the time of Abraham, he was one of five kings of the region of Canaan who fought against…
  • ShenazarShenazar was a son of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin), the king of Judah who was carried captive to Babylon. He is mentioned by name only, in the genealogy of …
  • SherebiahSherebiah was a Levite leader who returned with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem. He appears in Ezra and Nehemiah as one who explained the Law to the p…
  • SheshaiSheshai was a descendant of Anak who lived in Hebron at the time of the conquest of Canaan. Scripture names him together with Ahiman and Talmai and r…
  • SheshbazzarSheshbazzar was a leader of Judah who, during the reign of the Persian king Cyrus, received the vessels of the Jerusalem temple and led the first ret…
  • Shethar-boznaiShethar-boznai was an official during the reign of the Persian king Darius who investigated the authority for rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. In …
  • Shimea (son of Jesse)Shimea was the third son of Jesse and an older brother of David. In 1 Samuel he appears as Shammah, and Scripture mentions him mainly when introducin…
  • ShimeiShimei was an Old Testament figure from the tribe of Benjamin and a member of Saul's house. He cursed David as the king fled during Absalom's rebelli…
  • ShimronShimron was the fourth son of Issachar, the son of Jacob, and the ancestor of the Shimronite family (clan) within the tribe of Issachar. In the Bible…
  • ShinabShinab was the king of Admah named in Genesis 14. He was one of five kings who fought against the coalition of four kings led by Chedorlaomer.
  • ShiphrahShiphrah is one of the two Hebrew midwives named in Exodus 1. Together with Puah, she refused to obey the king of Egypt's order to kill Hebrew baby b…
  • Shiphrah and PuahShiphrah and Puah were two Hebrew midwives named in Exodus 1. Because they feared God, they refused to obey the Egyptian king's command to kill Hebre…
  • ShishakShishak was a king of Egypt in the time of Solomon and Rehoboam. He gave refuge to Jeroboam when Jeroboam fled from Solomon, and in the fifth year of…
  • ShobachShobach was the commander of the army of Hadarezer (Hadadezer), an Aramean king, in the time of David. He led the Aramean coalition forces fighting a…
  • ShobiShobi was an Ammonite who brought food and household goods to David when David reached Mahanaim while fleeing Absalom's rebellion. He is introduced a…
  • Shulamite WomanThe Shulamite woman is the woman called "the Shulamite" in the Old Testament book of the Song of Songs. She is commonly understood to be the female s…
  • Shunammite WomanThe Shunammite woman is an unnamed woman from Shunem who appears in 2 Kings 4 and 8. She showed hospitality to the prophet Elisha, bore a son in fulf…
  • SibbechaiSibbechai was a warrior in the time of King David. The Bible records that he killed a descendant of the giants in battle against the Philistines and …
  • SihonSihon was an Amorite king who ruled the territory east of the Jordan River from his capital at Heshbon near the end of the wilderness period followin…
  • SilasSilas appears in the New Testament book of Acts as a leader of the Jerusalem church who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. In the Pau…
  • SilvanusSilvanus was a first-century coworker who preached the gospel alongside the apostle Paul. He is named in the Pauline Epistles and in 1 Peter and is g…
  • Simeon (son of Jacob)The second son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Simeon, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He is known for his part in the Shechem…
  • Simeon Called NigerSimeon called Niger is an early church figure named in Acts 13:1 as one of the "prophets and teachers" of the church at Antioch in Syria.
  • Simeon and AnnaSimeon and Anna are two devout Jews in Luke 2 who recognized the infant Jesus as the Messiah and bore witness to him when he was presented at the Tem…
  • Simon MagusSimon Magus is a sorcerer in Samaria who appears in Acts 8. After being baptized, he tried to buy the power to impart the Holy Spirit and was rebuked…
  • Simon of CyreneSimon of Cyrene was the man whom Roman soldiers seized and compelled to carry the cross for Jesus as Jesus was being led away to be crucified. He app…
  • Simon the CananaeanSimon the Cananaean was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. In Luke and Acts he is called "Simon called Zelotes" (the Zealot), which distinguishes …
  • Simon the LeperSimon the Leper was a resident of Bethany in whose house Jesus was dining shortly before His Passion when a woman poured ointment on His head. He is …
  • Simon the PhariseeSimon the Pharisee was the host who invited Jesus to a meal at his house in Luke 7. When a woman known as a sinner anointed Jesus' feet with ointment…
  • Simon the TannerSimon the tanner was a leather craftsman of Joppa mentioned in Acts 9–10. After raising Tabitha, Peter stayed for many days in Simon's house by the s…
  • Simon the ZealotSimon was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Matthew and Mark call him "Simon the Cananaean," while Luke and Acts call him "Simon the Zealot." Both…
  • SiseraSisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, the Canaanite king who oppressed Israel during the period of the judges. In Judges 4–5 he is defeated …
  • SolomonSolomon was the third king of the united kingdom of ancient Israel and the son of David. He is known as a wise king and as the builder of the Temple …
  • SopaterSopater, the son of Pyrrhus, was a man of Berea mentioned once in Scripture, in Acts 20:4. Near the end of Paul's third missionary journey, he was am…
  • SosipaterSosipater was an early Christian whom Paul names as one of his "kinsmen" in Romans 16:21. He was with Paul when the letter was written and sent greet…
  • SosthenesSosthenes is a first-century figure in the New Testament. The Book of Acts presents him as a ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, and First Corinthians…
  • StachysStachys was a Christian in Rome whom the apostle Paul greeted as "Stachys my beloved" in Romans 16. His name appears only once in the Bible.
  • StephanasStephanas was a believer in the church at Corinth, mentioned in 1 Corinthians, and the head of a household baptized by Paul. Paul calls his household…
  • StephenStephen was a leader in the early church in Jerusalem whose story is told in the Book of Acts. Chosen as one of the seven men entrusted with the dail…
  • SusannaSusanna is a woman named once in Scripture, in Luke 8:3. She was one of the women who accompanied Jesus and the Twelve and ministered to them out of …
  • Syrophoenician WomanThe Syrophoenician woman was a Gentile woman whom Jesus met in the region of Tyre. She pleaded with him to heal her demon-possessed daughter, and her…

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  • TabeelTabeel was a man of the Persian period, mentioned in Ezra 4:7, who joined Bishlam and Mithredath in writing to King Artaxerxes in Aramaic. He is gene…
  • TabithaTabitha is a female disciple of Joppa who appears in Acts 9; her Greek name is Dorcas. She was known for her good works and almsgiving, and Scripture…
  • TabrimmonTabrimmon is a biblical figure named once, in 1 Kings 15:18, as the son of Hezion and the father of Ben-hadad, king of Aram. He belonged to the Arame…
  • TahpenesTahpenes was the queen of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, around the time of David and Solomon. She is mentioned twice in 1 Kings 11 as the sister-in-law of …
  • TalmaiTalmai is the name of two men in the Old Testament. One was a descendant of Anak who lived in Hebron; the other was the king of Geshur, who was David…
  • TamarTamar is chiefly the woman in Genesis 38 who bore Perez and Zerah to her father-in-law Judah and whose name appears in the genealogies of David and o…
  • Tamar (Daughter of David)Tamar was the daughter of King David and Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, and the full sister of Absalom. Her rape by her half-brother …
  • TatnaiTatnai was the Persian governor of the region west of the Euphrates River during the reign of King Darius. He investigated the rebuilding of the temp…
  • Teman (son of Eliphaz)Teman was a son of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, and one of the chiefs of the Edomites. His name is also used for a region in the land of Edom and …
  • TerahTerah was the father of Abraham. He led his family out of Ur of the Chaldees toward Canaan but settled in Haran, where he died (Genesis 11).
  • TertiusTertius was the amanuensis who wrote down the apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans. He was a first-century Christian who added his own greeting in Ro…
  • TertullusTertullus was the courtroom orator who, in Acts 24, accused Paul before the Roman governor Felix on behalf of the high priest Ananias and the elders.
  • ThaddaeusThaddaeus was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark call him "Thaddaeus," while the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Ac…
  • The Cushite WomanThe Cushite woman (KJV: "Ethiopian woman") is the wife whom Moses married, according to Numbers 12. She appears in the account in which Miriam and Aa…
  • The Disciple Whom Jesus LovedThe disciple whom Jesus loved is an unnamed disciple of Jesus who appears only in the Gospel of John. He is present at the Last Supper, at the foot o…
  • The Twelve DisciplesThe Twelve Disciples were the twelve men whom Jesus Christ kept close to him during his public ministry, teaching them and sending them out to preach…
  • The Woman Caught in AdulteryThe woman caught in adultery is an unnamed woman who appears in John 7:53–8:11. She is the central figure in the account in which Jesus told her accu…
  • TheophilusTheophilus is the person to whom the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles addresses each book at its opening. Both books are ded…
  • TheudasTheudas is a figure whom Gamaliel cited as an example in his speech before the Sanhedrin in Acts 5. He is said to have presented himself as someone o…
  • ThomasThomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He declared that he would not believe until he had seen the risen Jesus for himself, and he then con…
  • TiberiusTiberius was the second emperor of the Roman Empire. His name appears once in Scripture, in Luke 3:1, where it serves as the reference point for dati…
  • TibniTibni, the son of Ginath, was proclaimed king by half the people of the northern kingdom of Israel after the death of King Zimri and contended with O…
  • TidalTidal was the king of Goiim mentioned in Genesis 14. Allied with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, he was one of the four kings who fought against five king…
  • Tiglath-pileserTiglath-pileser was an eighth-century BC king of Assyria. In 2 Kings and Chronicles he appears as the ruler who conquered Galilee and the territory e…
  • TimothyTimothy was one of Paul's foremost coworkers. A native of Lystra, he accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys, and the New Testament letters 1 Tim…
  • TirasTiras was a grandson of Noah and a son of Japheth. His name appears only in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1, and nothing is recorded…
  • TirhakahTirhakah was a king of Cush (the Nubian region of the upper Nile) mentioned in 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37. He appears only in a report that he had come…
  • Titius JustusTitius Justus was a Corinthian mentioned in Acts 18:7, a Gentile described as one who "worshipped God." His house, which stood next to the synagogue,…
  • TitusTitus was a Gentile coworker of Paul in the New Testament. He traveled between Paul and the church at Corinth, set the churches of Crete in order, an…
  • TobiahTobiah is an Ammonite official in the Book of Nehemiah. Together with Sanballat and Geshem, he opposed the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He l…
  • TobiasTobias is the protagonist of the Book of Tobit, one of the deuterocanonical books (the Apocrypha) of the Old Testament, and the son of Tobit. Guided …
  • ToiToi was a king of Hamath in the time of David. When he heard that David had defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, he sent his son to greet David and pres…
  • TolaTola was a judge from the tribe of Issachar who succeeded Abimelech and judged Israel for twenty-three years during the period of the judges. He is b…
  • TouTou was a king of Hamath in the time of David. When David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, Tou sent his son to greet David and present him with gift…
  • TrophimusTrophimus was a Gentile Christian from Ephesus who appears in Acts and 2 Timothy. He accompanied Paul on his final journey to Jerusalem, and a mistak…
  • Tryphena and TryphosaTryphena and Tryphosa were two women believers in the church at Rome whom the apostle Paul greeted in Romans 16:12 as those who "labour in the Lord."…
  • TubalTubal was the fifth son of Japheth, the son of Noah, and appears by name only in the genealogies of Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1. In the prophetic b…
  • Tubal-cainTubal-cain is a descendant of Cain named in Genesis 4, the son of Lamech and Zillah, who made various implements of bronze and iron. He is the first …
  • TychicusTychicus was a coworker of the apostle Paul from the province of Asia who traveled with him, delivered his letters, and brought news of the churches.…

U 10

  • UcalUcal is an Old Testament figure named in Proverbs 30:1, together with Ithiel, as one to whom Agur delivered his sayings. He appears only once in the …
  • UrbanusUrbanus was a believer in the church at Rome whose name appears in Romans 16:9 in the New Testament. Paul included him in his greetings, calling him …
  • Uri (son of Hur)Uri is an Old Testament man of the tribe of Judah, the son of Hur and the father of Bezalel, the craftsman who made the tabernacle and its furnishing…
  • UriahUriah was a Hittite warrior who fought in King David's army and was the husband of Bathsheba. After committing adultery with Bathsheba, David arrange…
  • Urijah (Priest)Urijah was a priest of the Jerusalem temple during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. At the king's command he built a new altar in the temple modeled …
  • Urijah (prophet)Urijah, the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, was a prophet in the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah. He prophesied judgment in the same terms as Jer…
  • UzzahUzzah was the son of Abinadab who died during the reign of David. While the ark of the covenant was being brought to Jerusalem, the oxen stumbled, an…
  • UzziUzzi was the overseer of the Levites living in Jerusalem after the return from exile. He was the son of Bani and belonged to the descendants of Asaph…
  • UzziahUzziah was an eighth-century BC king of the southern kingdom of Judah who is called Azariah in 2 Kings. He had a long reign and strengthened the nati…
  • UzzielUzziel was a grandson of Levi and the fourth son of Kohath, making him the uncle of Moses and Aaron. His descendants formed the Uzzielites, one of th…

V 1

  • VashtiVashti was the queen of Ahasuerus, king of Persia, who was deposed after refusing the king's summons. Her removal opened the way for Esther to become…

W 5

  • Widow of ZarephathThe widow of Zarephath is a woman from Zarephath in the region of Sidon who appears in 1 Kings 17. During a drought she fed the prophet Elijah, and h…
  • Wise Woman of AbelThe wise woman of Abel is an unnamed woman who appears in 2 Samuel 20. When Joab besieged the city of Abel Beth Maachah in pursuit of Sheba, who had …
  • Wise Woman of TekoaThe wise woman of Tekoa is an unnamed woman described as "wise" in 2 Samuel 14 who, at Joab's request, used a fabricated story to persuade King David…
  • Wise Woman of TekoaThe wise woman of Tekoa is an unnamed woman who appears in 2 Samuel 14. At Joab's request, she told King David a fabricated story to persuade him, he…
  • Woman with the Issue of BloodThe woman with the issue of blood is an unnamed woman who, according to the Synoptic Gospels, suffered for twelve years from bleeding that would not …

Z 40

  • ZabdielZabdiel, the son of Haggedolim, is named in Nehemiah 11:14 as the overseer of 128 "mighty men of valour" from the priestly families who settled in Je…
  • ZacchaeusZacchaeus was a chief tax collector of Jericho who appears in Luke 19. He climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus and, after Jesus called him, welco…
  • ZadokZadok was a priest in the time of David and Solomon. He anointed Solomon as king, and Scripture records his descendants as the family that carried on…
  • Zebadiah (son of Ishmael)Zebadiah, the son of Ishmael and ruler of the house of Judah, lived during the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. When the king established a judici…
  • Zebah (King of Midian)Zebah was one of the two kings of Midian who invaded Israel during the period of the judges. Pursued by Gideon along with Zalmunna, he was captured a…
  • Zebah and ZalmunnaZebah and Zalmunna were two kings of Midian who invaded Israel in the time of the judge Gideon. In Judges 8 they are captured and put to death by Gid…
  • ZebedeeZebedee was a Galilean fisherman and the father of James and John, two of the twelve disciples of Jesus. In the Gospels his name appears mostly in th…
  • ZebidahZebidah was a wife of King Josiah of Judah and the mother of King Jehoiakim. She is named only once, in 2 Kings 23:36, where she is identified as the…
  • ZebulZebul is a figure in Judges 9 who was the ruler of the city of Shechem during Abimelech's reign. He secretly informed Abimelech of Gaal's rebellion a…
  • ZebulunZebulun was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Zebulun, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe's territory is co…
  • Zechariah (King of Israel)Zechariah was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the son of Jeroboam II. He reigned for six months before he was assassinated by Shallum, a…
  • Zechariah (Prophet)Zechariah was a prophet active during the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem after the return from the Babylonian exile, and he is the central fig…
  • Zechariah (Son of Jehoiada)Zechariah, son of the priest Jehoiada, lived during the reign of Joash, king of Judah. He rebuked the people for idolatry and, at the king's command,…
  • Zechariah (son of Jeberechiah)Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah, was one of the two "faithful witnesses," together with Uriah the priest, whom Isaiah took when, at God's command, …
  • Zechariah and ElizabethZechariah and Elizabeth were a priestly couple in Luke 1 who remained childless into old age. As the angel Gabriel had foretold, they became the pare…
  • Zechariah son of JehoiadaZechariah son of Jehoiada was a member of a priestly family during the reign of King Joash of Judah. After rebuking the people for idolatry, he was s…
  • ZedekiahZedekiah was the last king of the Kingdom of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, placed him on the throne, but Zedekiah rebelled against him. Whe…
  • Zedekiah son of ChenaanahZedekiah son of Chenaanah was a prophet in the time of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He prophesied victory in the war against Aram and…
  • ZelophehadZelophehad was a man of the tribe of Manasseh who died during the wilderness period. He left no sons, only five daughters, and their petition led to …
  • ZenasZenas was a first-century Christian named only once in the New Testament, in Titus 3:13, where he is called "the lawyer." Paul asked Titus to help Ze…
  • Zephaniah (Prophet)Zephaniah was an Old Testament prophet who ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. The Old Testament Book of Zephaniah preserves his pro…
  • Zephaniah (son of Maaseiah)Zephaniah son of Maaseiah was a priest who served as the second priest, ranking next to the high priest, during the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. …
  • Zerah (Son of Judah)Zerah was one of the twin sons born to Judah and Tamar, the other being Perez. His descendants formed the Zerahites (KJV "Zarhites"), a family within…
  • Zerah (Son of Reuel)Zerah, a grandson of Esau and son of Reuel, was an Edomite chief listed in the Edomite genealogies of Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1.
  • Zerah (the Cushite)Zerah was a Cushite who led a vast army as far as Mareshah in the days of King Asa of Judah and was defeated. He appears only in 2 Chronicles 14.
  • ZereshZeresh is the wife of Haman in the Old Testament Book of Esther. She urged her husband to set up a gallows on which to hang Mordecai, but later told …
  • ZerubbabelZerubbabel was a descendant of the royal house of David who led the people of Judah home from the Babylonian exile. He served as governor of Judah du…
  • ZeruiahZeruiah was the daughter of Jesse, the sister of David, and the mother of Joab, the commander of David's army, and of the warriors Abishai and Asahel…
  • ZibaZiba was a servant of the house of Saul who appears in 2 Samuel. He told David about Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, and managed Mephibosheth's la…
  • ZibiahZibiah is a woman from Beersheba mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament. She was the mother of King Joash of Judah.
  • ZichriZichri is a Levite named in the genealogy of Exodus 6. He was a grandson of Kohath, a son of Izhar, and a brother of Korah and Nepheg.
  • ZillahZillah is a woman mentioned in Genesis 4. She was one of the two wives of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, and the mother of Tubal-cain and Naamah.
  • ZilpahZilpah was the maidservant whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah as her handmaid. Through Leah she became a wife of Jacob and bore Gad and Asher, maki…
  • ZimriZimri was a leader of the tribe of Simeon who appears in Numbers 25. During the Baal-peor incident, he brought a Midianite woman, Cozbi, into the cam…
  • Zimri (King of Israel)Zimri was a king of the northern kingdom of Israel who killed King Elah and reigned seven days in Tirzah. When Omri besieged him, he set the palace o…
  • ZipporZippor is an Old Testament figure named only as the father of Balak, king of Moab. He appears in the text solely in the phrase "Balak the son of Zipp…
  • ZipporahZipporah, a figure in the Book of Exodus, was the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, and the wife of Moses. She is known for circumcising her …
  • ZoharZohar was a Hittite mentioned in the Book of Genesis, the father of Ephron, who sold Abraham the field containing the cave of Machpelah. Scripture na…
  • ZurZur was a Midianite chieftain mentioned in the book of Numbers and the father of Cozbi, the Midianite woman killed by Phinehas during the incident at…
  • ZurielZuriel is a Levite mentioned once in the Book of Numbers. The son of Abihail, he was the chief of the Merarite families during the wilderness period.…