Alameth is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Alameth was a descendant of Benjamin, mentioned in the genealogies of Israel. He appears in 1 Chronicles 7:8 as one of the sons of Becher, who was a son of Benjamin. The Chronicler lists nine sons of Becher: Zemira, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jerimoth, Abiah, Anathoth, and Alameth. The verse concludes with the summary statement, “All these are the sons of Becher.” Alameth is therefore identified as a Benjamite, belonging to one of the tribes of Israel, and specifically to the clan descended through Becher.
The setting of this passage is the great genealogical record that opens 1 Chronicles. After the return from exile, the Chronicler compiled the family lines of Israel to reestablish the people’s identity and their connection to their ancestral inheritance. The tribe of Benjamin features prominently in this record, and Becher’s line is one of several branches listed. Alameth appears only here, at the end of the list of Becher’s sons, with no further narrative attached to him.
Scripture says nothing else about Alameth. He is not recorded as performing any deed, holding any office, or speaking any word. He simply appears as a name in a family line, one among many in a genealogy that stretches across generations. What Scripture says of him is that he was a son of Becher and a descendant of Benjamin, counted among the people of Israel.
The Name
The name Alameth is a Hebrew name whose meaning is not clearly recoverable. It appears only once in the King James Bible, in 1 Chronicles 7:8, and the text provides no explanation of its significance. Some Hebrew names carry well-established meanings tied to their root words, but for Alameth no meaning is firmly established. It may be related to a Hebrew root, but the connection is uncertain, and scholars have not reached agreement on its sense. It is better to say plainly that the meaning of this name is not known than to assign it a meaning the text does not support.
A Closing Thought
Most of the people in Scripture are like Alameth: a name in a list, a life summed up in a single line. He never led an army, never spoke a prophecy, never stood at a crossroads of biblical history. Yet he was counted. His name was written down and preserved for generations because he belonged to the people of God. That is no small thing. The quiet and the forgotten are still known to God, and being numbered among His people is a heritage worth more than any fame the world can give.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 7:8 — And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.