Lexical Summary Amoq: Deep Original Word: עָמוֹק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Amok From amaq; deep; Amok, an Israelite -- Amok. see HEBREW amaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom amoq Definition "deep," an Isr. priest NASB Translation Amok (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָמוֺק proper name, masculine a priest Nehemiah 12:7,20, Αμουκ. Topical Lexicon Name and Identity Amok is identified in the post-exilic records of Nehemiah as one of the ancestral heads of the priesthood who returned from Babylon and helped re-establish temple worship in Jerusalem. His lineage became one of the twenty-four priestly divisions that served in rotation, perpetuating the pattern instituted by David (1 Chronicles 24). Biblical References • Nehemiah 12:7 – “Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.” Historical Context The listings in Nehemiah 12 preserve the names of priestly families that returned from exile under Zerubbabel and Jeshua (around 538 B.C.) and later served during the governorship of Nehemiah (mid-fifth century B.C.). These rosters functioned as legal documents validating each family’s right to officiate at the rebuilt temple. The mention of Amok underscores both the continuity of the Aaronic line after the exile and the community’s concern for genealogical purity (Ezra 2:61-63). Priestly Division and Service Although not explicitly numbered in Nehemiah, Jewish tradition situates the house of Amok among the twenty-four orders that ministered on a weekly rotation (Josephus, Antiquities 7.14.7). Each division offered daily sacrifices, maintained the sacred fires, pronounced blessings (Numbers 6:22-27), and taught the Law (Malachi 2:7). By preserving the name Amok, Scripture affirms that every priestly clan—whether broadly known like Zadok or scarcely mentioned like Amok—held an indispensable role in the covenant worship of Israel. Spiritual Significance and Ministry Lessons 1. Faithfulness in obscurity: Amok never appears outside genealogical lists, yet his family’s routine obedience sustained temple worship for generations. God records and rewards steadfast service even when history offers little spotlight (Hebrews 6:10). Theological Reflection The post-exilic priesthood, including the house of Amok, served as a living anticipation of the ultimate High Priest, Jesus Christ, whose once-for-all sacrifice fulfills the entire sacrificial system (Hebrews 7:23-28). The continuity from Amok’s line to the first-century priestly divisions (Luke 1:5, “division of Abijah”) testifies to divine providence orchestrating history until the fullness of time. Practical Applications for the Church • Recognize unsung ministries that quietly uphold congregational life—intercessors, stewards, caretakers—mirroring Amok’s hidden yet crucial service. Cross-References for Study Ezra 2:36-39; Ezra 7:1-5; 1 Chronicles 24:1-19; Malachi 2:1-9; Hebrews 5:1-10; Hebrews 9:11-15 Forms and Transliterations לְעָמ֥וֹק לעמוק עָמ֔וֹק עמוק ‘ā·mō·wq ‘āmōwq aMok lə‘āmōwq lə·‘ā·mō·wq leaMokLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Nehemiah 12:7 HEB: סַלּ֣וּ עָמ֔וֹק חִלְקִיָּ֖ה יְדַֽעְיָ֑ה NAS: Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. KJV: Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. INT: Sallu Amok Hilkiah and Jedaiah Nehemiah 12:20 2 Occurrences |
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