Ethni is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Ethni was a Levite whose name appears in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles. He is listed only once in the King James Bible, in the lineage of the temple singers. The text identifies him as the son of Zerah and the father of Adaiah, placing him within a long chain of Levitical descent (1 Chronicles 6:41).
The setting of this genealogy is the organization of Israel’s worship. Chronicles traces the ancestry of the Levites who served in the tabernacle and later the temple, particularly the musicians and singers appointed for that ministry. Ethni belongs to this record of families set apart for the service of God’s house.
Scripture says nothing else about Ethni beyond his place in this lineage. He is not described as performing any particular deed, and no incident or word of his is recorded. What the text preserves is simply his name and his position among the generations leading to the appointed singers of Israel. His inclusion shows that he was counted among those whose descendants carried forward the worship practices of the nation.
The Name
The name Ethni appears to be of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the text or from standard resources. Some suggest a possible connection to words for “hire” or “gift,” but this is uncertain and not well established. Rather than assign a meaning that cannot be confirmed, it is best to say plainly that the precise sense of the name is obscure.
A Closing Thought
Most of us will never be remembered by name in a great record. Ethni appears in a single line, known mainly as a link between his father and his son. Yet that link mattered: through it, worship was passed down and the service of God’s house continued. Faithfulness is often quiet and unnamed in the eyes of the world, but God keeps His own record. A life that simply carries the worship of God forward to the next generation is not a small thing.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 6:41 — The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,