Answer
The Bible speaks of three men named Amminadab. None of the three have much information about them provided in Scripture, but we can still glean certain details from the text.
The Bible’s first mention of a man named Amminadab is in Exodus 6:23. This Amminadab was of the tribe of Judah and the father of Elisheba, the woman who married Aaron, Moses’ brother and the first high priest of the Israelites. Later, the Bible references this same Amminadab in connection with his son Nahshon, who is called “the leader of the people of Judah” (Numbers 2:3). As we follow the line through Nahshon, we see that Amminadab was an ancestor of both Boaz and David and therefore an ancestor of Jesus Christ (see Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:4; Luke 3:33).
Another man named Amminadab is a Levite mentioned in the Bible in conjunction with his more infamous son Korah (1 Chronicles 6:22). Korah was a clan leader during the Israelites’ journey to the Promised land and is known for his rebellion against Moses and his subsequent destruction by the Lord God (see Numbers 16).
The third Amminadab in the Bible was a Levite and the son of Uzziel. This Amminadab likely served in the tabernacle. He was one of 112 Levites who received the great honor of bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Previously, the ark had been captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:1–11) but was returned when calamity fell on the Philistines due to the ark’s presence in their temple. David had constructed a palace for himself in the city of Jerusalem and, as in times of old, a tent for the ark of the covenant. David ordered the chosen men, including Amminadab, to consecrate themselves and carry the ark on poles into the city. Amminadab’s exact role in this is not mentioned, but he was likely a part of the procession, which included sacrifices, choirs, dancing, and “a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals” (1 Chronicles 15:16). David would eventually commission a temple to be built by his son Solomon, and the temple would be the permanent house for the ark.
