Who was Azel in the bible?
Azel is named in genealogies in 1 Chronicles 8:37–38 and 9:43–44, and is also a place-name mentioned in Zechariah 14:5.
His Family Line
“Moza became the father of Binea… and Azel his son” (1 Chronicles 8:37). “Azel had six sons… Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan” (1 Chronicles 8:38).
Learn More →Place Name
Zechariah describes a valley reaching “to Azel” as part of a flight through “the valley of my mountains” (Zechariah 14:5).
Learn More →Azel is the name of an Israelite listed in the genealogies of Benjamin, and also the name of a place mentioned in prophecy. Lexically, the name is explained as meaning “noble.”
Azel in Scripture
Azel appears in 1 Chronicles within an extended genealogy connected to the tribe of Benjamin. The chapter begins with Benjamin’s descendants and then traces multiple family lines, identifying heads of households and where some families lived.
The genealogy opens:
“Benjamin became the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, Aharah the third,” (1 Chronicles 8:1)
and continues naming further descendants through many branches. In this context, the chapter remarks about leading families and location:
“These were heads of fathers’ households throughout their generations, chief men. These lived in Jerusalem.” (1 Chronicles 8:28)
It also includes a line connected with Gibeon:
“The father of Gibeon, whose wife’s name was Maacah, lived in Gibeon,” (1 Chronicles 8:29)
before proceeding to list further descendants, including Saul’s line:
“Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.” (1 Chronicles 8:33)
Within this broader Benjaminite record, Azel is introduced in a direct father-to-son chain that runs through several generations. The line is given in sequence:
“Ahaz became the father of Jehoaddah. Jehoaddah became the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri. Zimri became the father of Moza. Moza became the father of Binea. Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.” (1 Chronicles 8:36–37)
In these verses, Azel is presented as the son of Eleasah and part of a longer family line traced back through Moza and earlier ancestors.
Immediately after Azel is named, 1 Chronicles records his children and emphasizes the completeness of the list:
“Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.” (1 Chronicles 8:38)
This notice identifies Azel as a father of six sons, with each son named.
A parallel genealogy in 1 Chronicles 9 repeats the same father-to-son sequence and the same list of Azel’s sons. The line is again stated:
“Moza became the father of Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, and Azel his son.” (1 Chronicles 9:43)
and the following verse repeats the names of Azel’s children:
“Azel had six sons, whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.” (1 Chronicles 9:44)
Together, these two passages reinforce Azel’s place in the genealogical record and preserve the same six-son list.
Beyond genealogies, “Azel” is also used as a place-name in Zechariah, where it marks the reach of a valley mentioned in a prophetic scene. The verse reads:
“You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Yahweh my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.” (Zechariah 14:5)
In this context, Azel functions as a geographical endpoint (“shall reach to Azel”) within the description.
Multiple bearers
The name “Azel” refers to two distinct entities in the provided passages: (1) an Israelite individual in Benjamin’s genealogies, and (2) a place mentioned in Zechariah’s prophecy. The individual Azel is identified through family descent and as the father of six sons (1 Chronicles 8:37–38; 1 Chronicles 9:43–44). The place Azel is identified by its role as a destination or boundary point for “the valley of the mountains” (Zechariah 14:5).
Name and Meaning
The Hebrew script form is אָצֵל, transliterated ’Atsel and pronounced aw-tsale’. The lexicon derives the name from H680 and glosses it with the sense “noble,” connecting it with a root component אָצַל (’atsal), explained as properly meaning “to join” and noted as being used only in a denominative way.
Observation
Across the Chronicles genealogies, Azel is remembered in a precise lineage and by the naming of his six sons—“All these were the sons of Azel” (1 Chronicles 8:38)—while Zechariah uses the same name to designate a landmark reached by “the valley of the mountains” (Zechariah 14:5).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Azel mean?
Azel means “noble.”
How many times does Azel appear in the Bible?
Azel appears 5 times.
Who was Azel in the Bible?
Azel is the name of an Israelite and also the name of a place in Palestine. In the genealogies, Azel is listed as the son of Eleasah (1 Chronicles 8:37; 1 Chronicles 9:43).
Who were Azel’s sons?
Azel had six sons: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan (1 Chronicles 8:38; 1 Chronicles 9:44).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Azel interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
