Levi

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: From Hebrew Lēwî, linked to “joined/attached,” reflecting Leah’s wording at his birth (Gen 29:34)
• Period/Era: Patriarchal Period
• Main References: Genesis 29–34; 49; Exodus 6; Numbers 3
• Key Connections: Son of Jacob and Leah; brother of Simeon; father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; ancestor of the Levite clans

Who was Levi?

Levi was the third son born to Jacob and Leah and became the ancestral head of Israel’s tribe of Levi.
His household line is traced through his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
In Genesis, Levi appears mainly in family narratives tied to Jacob’s sons and their actions.
Later Israelite genealogies connect his descendants with set-apart service around the sanctuary.

Key Events & Achievements

• Dinah incident at Shechem: Joined Simeon in attacking the city after Dinah’s defilement, prompting Jacob’s rebuke (Gen 34:25–31).
• Jacob’s final words: Received a strong censure in Jacob’s blessing-oracle, describing dispersion among Israel (Gen 49:5–7).
• Line preserved in Israel’s records: Listed in key genealogies that trace Israel’s clans from the patriarchs into the Exodus generation (Exod 6:16–19).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Levi’s story shows how a patriarch’s family actions and later genealogical memory shaped Israel’s tribal identity over time.

Key Verse

"Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords." — Genesis 49:5, ESV