Levi

Meaning: adhesion

This was the name of four biblical men:

1. The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah's words (Gen. 29:34), "This time will my husband be joined [Hebrew: yillaveh] unto me." He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avenging his sister Dinah (Gen. 34:25-31). He and his three sons went down with Jacob (46:11) into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years (Ex. 6:16).

2. The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the ancestors of Christ (Luke 3:29).

3. Another ancestor of Jesus Christ. Father of another Matthat, son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna (Luke 3:24).

4. One of the apostles, the son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27,29), called also Matthew (Matt. 9:9). He was formerly a tax collector.