The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss here is the careful, almost pointed, way this verse names Jochebed as Levi's daughter, "whom her mother bore to Levi." This specific phrasing, which scholars debate but which emphasizes her direct lineage, subtly highlights that even this remarkable family, the progenitors of Israel's greatest leaders, stemmed from a union that was common practice at the time but later forbidden by Mosaic Law. It’s a quiet nod to God’s sovereignty in choosing and working through people, even within evolving understandings of holiness and relationship.
The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears in the midst of a lengthy census of the Israelite tribes, taken after a devastating plague and shortly before they enter the Promised Land. It specifically focuses on the tribe of Levi, noting their distinct lineage and, in this case, highlighting the immediate family of Israel's most prominent leaders, Moses and Aaron, by naming their parents.
How can a seemingly ordinary woman be connected to two significant lines of descent? This verse gives us a clue.
The verse highlights Jochebed's unique heritage. She's identified as 'the daughter of Levi,' pointing to her lineage within the priestly tribe. However, it also states she was born 'to Levi in Egypt,' suggesting a generational link within that specific place and time.
This detail emphasizes that Jochebed's family wasn't just Levitical in name, but deeply embedded in the history of Israel's sojourn and eventual Exodus from Egypt. Her connection through Levi, and then born to Levi in Egypt, grounds her in the very history from which Moses and Aaron would emerge to lead their people.
The names Aaron and Moses are central to Israel's story. But this verse reminds us they had a sister too.
This verse names the children born to Amram and Jochebed: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. This trio formed the core leadership during the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings.
Aaron, the elder, became the first High Priest, the vital link between God and His people for worship and sacrifice. Moses, the younger, was the prophet, lawgiver, and ultimate leader who confronted Pharaoh and guided Israel.
Miriam, their sister, is often overlooked, but she was a prophetess and a key spiritual figure, particularly in the women's worship and leadership. Her presence alongside her brothers underscores that God's work often involves a dynamic team, with diverse gifts and roles.
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Yokebed · Hebrew Proper Noun
The first woman mentioned by name in this genealogy, noted as the mother of the leaders of Israel’s liberation. Her name means "the Lord is glory" and she is explicitly identified as a daughter of Levi.
Mosheh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The prophet, lawgiver, and mediator who led the Israelites out of Egypt. He is the central human figure of the Pentateuch, chosen by God to represent Him to Pharaoh and to the people of Israel.
Aharon · Hebrew Proper Noun
The first high priest of Israel and brother of Moses. He and his descendants were exclusively ordained to offer sacrifices and perform the rituals of the tabernacle on behalf of the nation.
The lineage of Moses and Aaron is traced back to Levi, emphasizing their Israelite heritage and birth during the challenging era of Egyptian bondage, underscoring God's sovereignty in raising leaders from hardship.
c. 1800 BC
Levi settles in Egypt
Levi, son of Jacob, migrates with his family to Egypt during a time of famine, eventually settling in the land of Goshen.
c. 1440 BC
Israelites begin to multiply in Egypt
The Israelite population grows significantly in Egypt, leading to their enslavement by a new Pharaoh who did not know Joseph. This period marks the beginning of their oppression.
c. 1400 BC
Birth of Jochebed
Jochebed is born to Levi in Egypt, during the time of Israelite enslavement. She would later become the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
c. 1390 BC
Birth of Amram
Amram, son of Kohath and grandson of Levi, is born in Egypt.
c. 1370 BC— this verse
Marriage of Amram and Jochebed
Amram marries Jochebed, his aunt (his father Kohath's sister), a union that would produce key leaders of Israel. This marriage likely occurred during the intense period of Israelite slavery.
c. 1350 BC
Birth of Moses
Jochebed gives birth to Moses. Due to Pharaoh's decree to kill all male Israelite infants, she hides him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile.
c. 1330 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Under the leadership of Moses and Aaron, the Israelites are finally freed from over 400 years of slavery in Egypt, marking a pivotal moment in their history.
This passage directly names Jochebed as the daughter of Levi and the wife of Amram, providing the same foundational genealogical information about the lineage of Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 2:1-10This narrative describes Jochebed's courageous act of saving infant Moses, highlighting her faith and maternal love, which are implied by her role as the mother of Israel's greatest leaders.
1 Chronicles 6:3This passage reaffirms the lineage, listing Jochebed as the daughter of Levi and the mother of Amram's children, reinforcing her place in the ancestral line of the priesthood.
Hebrews 11:23This verse speaks of Moses' parents by faith, noting they were not afraid of the king's decree, which points to the faith and character of Jochebed as a mother raising exceptional children.
calvinNumbers 26:1-65: "And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,"
And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord:
Filii autem Eliab, Nebuel, Dathan et Abiron: isti sunt Dathan et Abiron majores synagogae qui rixati sunt contra Mosen et…
ellicottNumbers 26:59: "And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister."
(59) Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi . . . — Or, who was born to Levi, &c. There is a similar omission of the subject of the verb in 1Kings 1:6 . Some writers have supposed that Jochebed was the granddaughter, or possibly even some more remote descendant of Levi, and that Amram, the…
What's easy to miss here is the careful, almost pointed, way this verse names Jochebed as Levi's daughter, "whom her mother bore to Levi." This specific phrasing, which scholars debate but which emphasizes her direct lineage, subtly highlights that even this remarkable family, the progenitors of Israel's greatest leaders, stemmed from a union that was common practice at the time but later forbidden by Mosaic Law. It’s a quiet nod to God’s sovereignty in choosing and working through people, even within evolving understandings of holiness and relationship.
This verse appears in the midst of a lengthy census of the Israelite tribes, taken after a devastating plague and shortly before they enter the Promised Land. It specifically focuses on the tribe of Levi, noting their distinct lineage and, in this case, highlighting the immediate family of Israel's most prominent leaders, Moses and Aaron, by naming their parents.
This verse appears in the midst of a lengthy census of the Israelite tribes, taken after a devastating plague and shortly before they enter the Promised Land. It specifically focuses on the tribe of Levi, noting their distinct lineage and, in this case, highlighting the immediate family of Israel's most prominent leaders, Moses and Aaron, by naming their parents.
"The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister." — What's easy to miss here is the careful, almost pointed, way this verse names Jochebed as Levi's daughter, "whom her mother bore to Levi." This specific phrasing, which scholars debate but which emph…
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Last reviewed October 2026