Original Word: עַמִּיאֵל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: `Ammiy'el
Pronunciation: am-mee-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (am-mee-ale')
KJV: Ammiel
NASB: Ammiel
Word Origin: [from H5971 (עַם - People) and H410 (אֵל - God)]

1. people of God
2. Ammiel, the name of three or four Israelites

Ammiel

From am and 'el; people of God; Ammiel, the name of three or four Israelites -- Ammiel.

see HEBREW am

see HEBREW 'el

Word Origin
from am and el
Definition
"my kinsman is God," four Isr.
NASB Translation
Ammiel (6).

עַמִּיאֵל proper name, masculine (my kinsman is God, Gray^{Prop. N. 254}); — ᵐ5 Αμος(με)ιηλ:

1 east Jordan name 2 Samuel 9:4,5; 2 Samuel 17:27.

2 a Danite Numbers 13:12 (P).

3 David's father-in-law 1 Chronicles 3:5 (= אֱלִיעָם 2 Samuel 11:3).

4 son of Obed Edom 1 Chronicles 26:5.

Occurrences in Scripture

Numbers 13:12; 2 Samuel 9:4; 2 Samuel 9:5; 2 Samuel 17:27; 1 Chronicles 3:5; 1 Chronicles 26:5

Ammiel the Danite Scout (Numbers 13:12)

Chosen to represent the tribe of Dan in the reconnaissance of Canaan, Ammiel son of Gemalli returned with the majority report that doubted Israel’s ability to conquer the land. His participation underscores the responsibility of leaders to trust the promises of God. The negative consensus he helped shape delayed Israel’s entrance into the inheritance for forty years, illustrating the far-reaching consequences of unbelief.

Ammiel of Lo-debar, Father of Machir (2 Samuel 9; 2 Samuel 17)

Machir son of Ammiel provided refuge for the crippled prince Mephibosheth at Lo-debar. When King David sought to honor Jonathan’s house, “Ziba answered, ‘Indeed, he is in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel’ ” (2 Samuel 9:4). Later, during Absalom’s rebellion, Machir again showed covenant loyalty by supplying the exiled David (2 Samuel 17:27-29). Ammiel thus stands in the background of two gracious ministries: sheltering a forgotten heir of Saul and sustaining God’s anointed king in distress. His household models quiet faithfulness that advances God’s redemptive purposes.

Ammiel, Father of Bath-shua (Bathsheba) (1 Chronicles 3:5)

The Chronicler records that Solomon’s mother was “Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel” (1 Chronicles 3:5). This links Ammiel directly to the royal and ultimately Messianic line. The parallel in 2 Samuel 11:3 names her father as Eliam, suggesting an alternate form of the same name. Through Bathsheba, Ammiel’s lineage becomes part of the genealogy that leads to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:6). The inclusion of this family in Messiah’s ancestry highlights divine grace that redeems human failure and weaves every thread into the promised covenant tapestry.

Ammiel son of Obed-edom, Levitical Gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 26:5)

Among the sons of Obed-edom—whose household was blessed for hosting the Ark—“Ammiel [was] the sixth” (1 Chronicles 26:5). Stationed as gatekeepers, these Levites guarded and served at the temple. Their ministry preserved the sanctity of worship and facilitated Israel’s access to God. Ammiel’s position shows that even seemingly peripheral roles in God’s house carry enduring spiritual weight.

Theological and Ministry Insights

• Covenant Loyalty: The house of Ammiel in Lo-debar exemplifies steadfast kindness (ḥesed) toward both Mephibosheth and David, reflecting God’s own covenant fidelity.
• Faith versus Fear: The Danite scout illustrates the peril of evaluating circumstances apart from divine promise, contrasting with Joshua and Caleb’s faith-filled perspective.
• Messianic Thread: Through Bath-shua, Ammiel’s name is forever associated with the Davidic line and the birth of the Savior. God’s sovereignty embraces ordinary families and even morally complicated histories.
• Service in Worship: The Levitical Ammiel reminds believers that protecting and facilitating the worship of God is an honored calling, regardless of public recognition.

Lessons for Today

1. Leadership requires courageous trust in God’s Word; unbelief can hinder an entire community.
2. Acts of hidden hospitality may sustain key servants of God and advance His kingdom.
3. God can redeem personal and national failures, folding them into His redemptive plan.
4. Faithful service at any gate of ministry—seen or unseen—brings blessing and legacy.

In every appearance, Ammiel’s name is bound to moments when God’s faithfulness confronts human frailty, offering enduring testimony that the Lord weaves every life offered to Him into His larger account of redemption.

עַמִּיאֵ֖ל עַמִּיאֵ֤ל עַמִּיאֵֽל׃ עַמִּיאֵל֙ עמיאל עמיאל׃ ‘am·mî·’êl ‘ammî’êl ammiElInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts