Immer

Ancestor of the priestly line

Also known as: Imm

The divided kingdomPriestc. 900–800 BC

Immer was a priest who became the ancestor of one of the major priestly lines in Israel. His descendants served in the temple and were among those who returned from the Babylonian exile. The family of Immer is mentioned several times in Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Family

ChildPashur (priest who struck Jeremiah)

Key events

Appointed to the 16th priestly division

During King David's organization of the priesthood, Immer's family was assigned the sixteenth division among the twenty-four priestly divisions.

1 Chr 24:14 Show in context →

14the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

לְבִלְגָּה֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה עָשָׂ֔ר לְאִמֵּ֖ר שִׁשָּׁ֥ה עָשָֽׂר׃ ‬

Descendants return from exile

After the Babylonian exile, 1,052 of Immer's descendants returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel's leadership.

Ezra 2:37 Show in context →

37the sons of Immer, 1,052;

בְּנֵ֣י אִמֵּ֔ר אֶ֖לֶף חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס ‬

Immer's descendants in Nehemiah's register

In Nehemiah's list of those who returned from Babylon, Immer's sons are recorded as numbering 1,052.

Neh 7:40 Show in context →

40of Immer, 1,052;

בְּנֵ֣י אִמֵּ֔ר אֶ֖לֶף חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּשְׁנָֽיִם׃ ס ‬

Priests from the family of Immer who had taken foreign wives

Some of Immer's descendants were among the priests who had married foreign women and had to separate from them during Ezra's reforms.

Ezra 10:20 Show in context →

20From the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

וּמִבְּנֵ֣י אִמֵּ֔ר חֲנָ֖נִי וּזְבַדְיָֽה׃ ס ‬

Pashhur, son of Immer, with the prophet Jeremiah

Pashhur, son of the priest Immer and overseer in the temple, struck the prophet Jeremiah and put him in stocks because he prophesied about Jerusalem's destruction.

Jer 20:1 Show in context →

1Now Pashhur son of Immer, the priest who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּשְׁחוּר֙ בֶּן־אִמֵּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהֽוּא־פָקִ֥יד נָגִ֖יד בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ נִבָּ֖א אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ ‬

Jer 20:2 Show in context →

2So Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD.

וַיַּכֶּ֣ה פַשְׁח֔וּר אֵ֖ת יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ הַנָּבִ֑יא וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ עַל־הַמַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת אֲשֶׁ֨ר בְּשַׁ֤עַר בִּנְיָמִן֙ הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ ‬

Jer 20:3 Show in context →

3The next morning, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him: "The LORD does not call you Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side." [footnote: Hebrew Magor-Missabib, 'Terror on Every Side'; the same phrase recurs in verse 10.]

וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיֹּצֵ֥א פַשְׁח֛וּר אֶֽת־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מִן־הַמַּהְפָּ֑כֶת וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ לֹ֤א פַשְׁחוּר֙ קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ שְׁמֶ֔ךָ כִּ֖י אִם־מָג֥וֹר מִסָּבִֽיב׃ פ ‬

Immer's descendants settle in Jerusalem

After returning from exile, some of Immer's descendants settled in Jerusalem and served as priests in the rebuilt temple.

1 Chr 9:12 Show in context →

12Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah; and Maasai son of Adiel, son of Jahzerah, son of Meshullam, son of Meshillemith, son of Immer.

וַעֲדָיָה֙ בֶּן־יְרֹחָ֔ם בֶּן־פַּשְׁח֖וּר בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּ֑ה וּמַעְשַׂ֨י בֶּן־עֲדִיאֵ֧ל בֶּן־יַחְזֵ֛רָה בֶּן־מְשֻׁלָּ֥ם בֶּן־מְשִׁלֵּמִ֖ית בֶּן־אִמֵּֽר׃ ‬

Mentioned in the Bible (7)

1 Chronicles 9:12 1 Chronicles 24:14 Ezra 10:20 Nehemiah 3:29 Nehemiah 7:61 Nehemiah 11:13 Jeremiah 20:1