4381. Mikri
Lexical Summary
Mikri: Chance, accident, occurrence

Original Word: מִכְרִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Mikriy
Pronunciation: mik-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-ree')
KJV: Michri
NASB: Michri
Word Origin: [from H4376 (מָכַר - sold)]

1. salesman
2. Mikri, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Michri

From makar; salesman; Mikri, an Israelite -- Michri.

see HEBREW makar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from makar
Definition
a Benjamite
NASB Translation
Michri (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מִכְרִי proper name, masculine a Benjamite 1 Chronicles 9:8. ᵐ5 Μαχειρ; A Μοχορε; ᵐ5L Μαχειρι.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Tribal Context

Mikri appears as a member of the tribe of Benjamin. His position in the line of descent places him between Uzzi and Elah (1 Chronicles 9:8). Although only one brief reference is preserved, the inclusion of his name in the inspired record underlines the importance Scripture assigns to even the most obscure individuals within the covenant community.

Biblical Occurrence

1 Chronicles 9:8 records: “Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; and Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah.”

Historical Background

1 Chronicles was compiled after the Babylonian exile, when Judah’s identity had been shaken by judgment and displacement. The Chronicler gathered genealogies to affirm continuity between pre-exilic Israel and the restored community. Within this setting, Mikri’s name serves as a concrete link anchoring his descendants to ancestral promises and territorial rights in Jerusalem.

The Post-Exilic Community

Chapter 9 lists families who returned to inhabit Jerusalem—Benjaminites (verses 3-9), priests (verses 10-13), Levites (verses 14-34), and gatekeepers (verses 17-27). By placing Mikri’s line in the opening section, Scripture testifies that Benjamin shared in rebuilding the city’s social fabric alongside Judah and Levi (compare Nehemiah 11:4-9). The tribe’s proximity to Judah foreshadowed the later unity required for messianic fulfillment.

Genealogical Importance

Jewish custom demanded documented lineage for land inheritance (Numbers 36:7-9) and temple service (Ezra 2:61-63). Mikri’s mention supplied legal validation for his heirs, ensuring they could occupy their ancestral districts and participate fully in community life. The listing also protected the integrity of Benjamin’s tribal boundaries, preserving God’s apportionment of the land (Joshua 18:11-28).

Ministry and Spiritual Lessons

1. God values faithfulness in every generation. Mikri is remembered not for exploits but for fathering a line that returned to Jerusalem. His quiet contribution reinforces that the Lord “is not unjust so as to forget your work” (Hebrews 6:10).
2. Genealogies encourage perseverance. Exiles who read their own names in the register gained courage to rebuild the walls (Nehemiah 2:17-18). Likewise, believers today draw strength from knowing they belong to a long testimony of grace.
3. Identity is rooted in covenant, not circumstance. Though Benjamin had suffered war (Judges 20) and exile, its sons—including Mikri’s descendants—were restored. God’s purposes prevail despite national upheaval.

Christological and Theological Observations

Chronicles anticipates the greater genealogical record that culminates in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1; Luke 3). Each name signifies the unfolding plan through which Messiah would come “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). Mikri’s inclusion underscores the meticulous providence guiding history toward redemption. Furthermore, the rebuilding of Jerusalem underlines a larger eschatological hope: God gathers a purified people and dwells among them, a theme completed in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3).

Application for the Church Today

• Celebrate the unseen saints: Congregations should honor nursery workers, intercessors, and administrators—modern counterparts to Mikri—whose faithful labor often escapes notice yet strengthens the household of God.
• Maintain spiritual genealogy: Discipleship chains, membership rolls, and church histories remind believers of God’s ongoing work, fostering accountability and gratitude.
• Embrace post-exilic resilience: Churches emerging from hardship (persecution, disaster, decline) find in 1 Chronicles 9 a pattern for renewal built on worship, order, and community roots.

Related References

1 Chronicles 8:1-40 – Parallel Benjaminite genealogy.

Nehemiah 11:4-9 – Benjaminites resettled in Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:61-63 – Importance of verified lineage for ministry.

Revelation 3:12 – Promise of a secure name in God’s city.

Forms and Transliterations
מִכְרִ֑י מכרי michRi miḵ·rî miḵrî
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Chronicles 9:8
HEB: עֻזִּ֖י בֶּן־ מִכְרִ֑י וּמְשֻׁלָּם֙ בֶּן־
NAS: the son of Michri, and Meshullam
KJV: the son of Michri, and Meshullam
INT: of Uzzi the son of Michri and Meshullam the son

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4381
1 Occurrence


miḵ·rî — 1 Occ.

4380
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