Levi

Family: Jacob's family · Role: Leah's son · First appears: Genesis 29

In Genesis 29, Leah conceived and bore Levi, naming him because she hoped her husband would be joined to her: “therefore was his name called Levi.” Levi was a son of Jacob, and in Genesis 34 he acted with his brother Simeon in response to what happened to their sister Dinah. They conditioned the men of the city on circumcision, then, on the third day, attacked and slew its males, including Hamor and Shechem, before taking Dinah from Shechem’s house; Jacob’s sons spoiled the city and took its households captive.

In Genesis 35, Levi was counted among Jacob’s twelve sons, alongside Reuben, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. In Genesis 46, he was the father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and Jochebed was later identified as his daughter. In Genesis 49, Jacob spoke of Levi among the twelve sons, blessed each according to his blessing, and charged them concerning his burial; he also declared of Levi and Simeon, “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”

Before his death, Moses blessed the children of Israel. Of Levi he asked God to bless his substance and accept the work of his hands, and said, “Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one,” while God’s covenant was associated with those who observed his word and kept it.