Amminadab

Amminadab is a biblical figure named in several genealogical lists in the Hebrew Bible. The name is Hebrew in origin and is typically understood to mean something along the lines of “my people are generous” or “people of nobility,” with variations in translation.

In the line of Judah, Amminadab is described as the son of Ram and the father of Nahshon. Nahshon is presented as the leader of the tribe of Judah during the Exodus, and the genealogy continues from Nahshon to Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David. This lineage is recorded in 1 Chronicles 2:9–11 and is echoed in other biblical genealogies that trace the Davidic line.

In Exodus 6:23, Amminadab is named as Elisheba’s father, making Elisheba the wife of Aaron. This identifies Amminadab as the father-in-law of Aaron and places him within the broader Israelite genealogical framework that connects the priestly line to the tribes.

Scholars generally treat these references as referring to the same ancestral figure, illustrating Amminadab’s position as a link between the tribe of Judah and the royal line leading to David, while also aligning with the priestly-noble lineage through Elisheba. The two strands of reference—Amminadab as Nahshon’s father and as Elisheba’s father—highlight his role as an ancestral figure within Israel’s early genealogies.