Lexical Summary
Unni: Unni
Original Word:עֻנִּי
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:`Unniy
Pronunciation:OON-nee
Phonetic Spelling:(oon-nee')
KJV: Unni
NASB:Unni
Word Origin:[fromH6031 (עָנָה - To afflict)]
1. afflicted
2. Unni, the name of two Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Unni
Fromanah; afflicted; Unni, the name of two Israelites -- Unni.
see HEBREWanah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitiontwo Levites
NASB TranslationUnni (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Kt see . see I. . below,
(√ of following; Köii. 1, 38 compare Arabic
turn aside, whence [from movements]
goat, compare Assyrianenzu; Syriac
, construct
; also
;
goat-herd; Phoenician Palmyrene ; Late Hebrew (rare)).
: —
1 Chronicles 15:18,20, ,L .
Nehemiah 12:9 Qr (Kt ), () .
Topical Lexicon
Biblical ContextThree men bearing the name עֻנִּי (Unni) appear in Scripture, each connected with Levitical musical ministry. The first two are found in the chronicler’s record of David’s great procession that brought the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:18, 20). The third serves in the restored temple worship after the exile (Nehemiah 12:9). Together they span more than five hundred years of covenant history, illustrating the enduring place of ordered, skillful praise within Israel’s life.
Levitical Identity and Lineage
Unni is twice listed among “the sons of Merari,” the youngest branch of the Levitical tribe (compare1 Chronicles 6:44 andNehemiah 12:24 for the wider family). The Merarites were originally charged with carrying the boards, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:29-33). By David’s time their descendants had become accomplished singers and instrumentalists (1 Chronicles 6:31-47). That transition from physical to musical service demonstrates the adaptive flexibility of Levitical ministry as Israel moved from tent to temple.
Service in David’s Procession
When David “clothed all the Levites who were carrying the Ark, all the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music with linen robes” (1 Chronicles 15:27), Unni stood in the second rank of musicians (15:18) and again among the harpists (15:20). His assignment is specifically tied to the musical term “according to Alamoth,” a soprano or high-pitched arrangement. The scene highlights several truths:
• Worship is God-directed, not man-centered. Every detail—from priestly garments to musical parts—was arranged “as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord” (15:15).
• Musical excellence is compatible with spiritual sincerity. The event combined skilled instrumentation, costly garments, and “shouts of joy” (15:16, 28).
• Team ministry guards against celebrity. Unni’s name is preserved not for solo accomplishment but for faithful collaboration with fellow Levites.
Musical Function and Instruments
Harpists such as Unni provided a melodic foundation that lifted and supported congregational singing. In1 Chronicles 15:20 the harpists were differentiated from those playing lyres “to the Sheminith” (low register) and from trumpeters sounding with cymbals. The careful arrangement of high and low voices mirrors the later Pauline exhortation that worship be done “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). It also anticipates the multivoiced praise described inRevelation 5:8-14.
Post-exilic Continuity
Nehemiah 12:9 records that “Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them in the services.” After decades of captivity, a new Unni joins the choir, answering the call to maintain antiphonal praise in the rebuilt temple. The pairing of ancient liturgical forms with renewed zeal underscores the covenant faithfulness of God, who both preserves a remnant and restores their worship.
Theological Significance
1. God values generational transmission of worship. From David to Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, the same Levitical families are identified and re-commissioned.
2. Corporate praise is more than artistic expression; it is covenant obedience. The Chronicler and Nehemiah both link musical service to the commands of David, Gad, Nathan, and ultimately the Lord (2 Chronicles 29:25).
3. Musical order reflects divine order. Just as the tabernacle’s furnishings pointed to heavenly realities (Hebrews 8:5), so the structured choirs foreshadow the heavenly assembly where “every creature in heaven and on earth” joins in perfect harmony (Revelation 5:13).
Ministerial Lessons
• Hidden faithfulness matters. Aside from the lists, Scripture records no speeches, miracles, or songs penned by Unni, yet his obedience is eternally inscribed.
• Skill should be cultivated for God’s glory. The harpists rehearsed; the singers learned parts; the Levites submitted to godly leadership. Excellence is a form of worship.
• Post-crisis renewal requires worship leaders. When the walls of Jerusalem rose again, Nehemiah immediately appointed choir members. Any true reformation of God’s people will restore worship at its center.
Christological and Eschatological Echoes
The Ark’s ascent to Zion with singers preceding it prefigures Christ’s triumphal entry into the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:24). The harpists and trumpeters foreshadow the redeemed who “sing a new song” before the throne (Revelation 14:2-3). Unni’s brief appearances, therefore, are threads in the tapestry that leads from David’s tent to the New Jerusalem, where music never ceases and every redeemed voice finds its place.
Forms and Transliterations
וְעֻנִּ֡י וְעֻנִּ֣י וְעֻנִּ֧י ועני veunNi wə‘unnî wə·‘un·nî
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