Uzai is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Uzai was one of the leaders who helped repair the walls of Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah, mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah. He appears in the account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall, a project undertaken after the Jews returned from Babylonian exile. Nehemiah, serving as governor, organized the work so that different individuals and families were responsible for specific sections of the wall. Uzai is named in that record as the father of Palal, one of the men who labored on the wall.
The single reference to Uzai in the King James Bible is Nehemiah 3:25: “Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.” From this verse we learn that Uzai’s son Palal repaired a portion of the wall opposite the turning of the wall and the tower projecting from the king’s high house, near the court of the prison. Uzai himself is not described as performing the work; rather, he is identified as the father of Palal, the man who did.
Scripture says nothing further about Uzai—no words, no deeds, no lineage beyond this mention. His role in the narrative is that of a father whose son took part in the restoration of Jerusalem. The source note confirms that Uzai was counted among the leaders who helped repair the walls, and the text preserves his name in connection with that labor through his son.
The Name
The name Uzai is a Hebrew name, but its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text or from standard Hebrew lexicons. Some have tentatively connected it to a root suggesting strength or hearing, but no meaning is well established, and scholars do not agree on a definite interpretation. It is best to say plainly that the meaning of this name is uncertain rather than to assign it a meaning that cannot be substantiated.
A Closing Thought
Uzai never speaks a word in Scripture, and we never read of him lifting a stone or setting a beam. Yet his name is preserved forever in the record of Jerusalem’s rebuilding because his son Palal took up the work. There is a quiet encouragement here for every parent whose own part seems small: faithfulness often bears fruit in the next generation. Uzai’s legacy was not a monument with his own name on it, but a son who served. God remembers those whose lives quietly prepare others to do His work.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Nehemiah 3:25 — Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king’s high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.