that Christians must likewise be free from defilement of flesh and spirit.—2 Cor. 6:14-18; 7:1.

The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, set the example in this regard by remaining “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) While on earth he demonstrated zeal for maintaining the sanctity of Jehovah’s temple, as when he twice cleansed it of commercialism. (John 2:13-25; Matt. 21:12, 13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45, 46) In connection with the second temple cleansing, Mark reports that Jesus did not “let anyone carry a utensil through the temple.” (Mark 11:16) Thus Jesus evidently did not allow anyone to detract from the sanctity of the temple courtyard by using it as a mere shortcut when carrying items to another part of Jerusalem.

UTHAI

(Uʹthai) [perhaps, Jehovah has shown himself supreme].

1. A postexilic resident of Jerusalem; descendant of Judah through Perez.—1 Chron. 9:3, 4.

2. Head of a paternal house among the sons of Bigvai who came with Ezra to Jerusalem in 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:1, 14.

UZ

[counsel, plan].

1. A son of Aram and great-grandson of Noah through Shem.—Gen. 10:22, 23; 1 Chron. 1:17.

2. Firstborn son of Nahor and Milcah; nephew of Abraham.—Gen. 22:20, 21.

3. Son of Dishan and descendant of Seir the Horite.—Gen. 36:20, 21, 28.

4. Homeland of Job (Job 1:1), likely settled by the Shemite Aram’s son Uz and his descendants. (Gen. 10:22, 23) Its exact location is unknown. According to Josephus, “Uz founded Trachonitis and Damascus.” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book I, chap. VI, par. 4) Some geographers would therefore locate Uz in the Hauran, but most now favor a location more to the S. Uz seemingly was near Edom, allowing for a later extension of Edomite domain into Uz, or for some later Edomites to be dwelling in the “land of Uz,” as indicated at Lamentations 4:21. Jeremiah was commissioned to pass the cup of God’s wrath to “all the kings of the land of Uz,” and the immediate context includes references to Philistia, Edom, Moab and Ammon. (Jer. 25:15, 17, 20, 21) Job’s homeland was vulnerable to attack by Sabeans (from the S) and Chaldeans (from the E). (Job 1:15, 17) Taken together, these factors would indicate a location E of the Promised Land and near Edom, somewhere in N Arabia.

UZAI

(Uʹzai) [possibly, Jehovah has heard].

A man whose son Palal helped Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall.—Neh. 3:25.

UZAL

(Uʹzal).

1. The sixth named of Joktan’s thirteen sons, and also the tribe descended from him.—Gen. 10:26-29; 1 Chron. 1:21.

2. A place referred to in connection with Tyre’s traders, at Ezekiel 27:19. According to an Arabic tradition, Uzal, or Auzal, was a former name for the centrally located Yemenite capital Sanʼa. An alternate suggestion is Azalla, a town near Medina, about halfway between Sanʼa and the Gulf of Aqabah.

UZZA

(Uzʹza) [(Jehovah is) strength].

1. A Benjamite.—1 Chron. 8:1, 7.

2. A name connected with a garden. Kings Manasseh and Amon of Judah were buried in the garden of Uzza instead of the usual royal burial places. (2 Ki. 21:18, 23, 26) Neither Uzza nor the garden are otherwise known. Since persons were buried there, the place could not have been in the temple grounds and, since the royal palace adjoined the temple, the “house” of Manasseh in the garden of Uzza may have been a summer residence. Some suggest that King Uzz(i)ah made the garden.

3. Head of a family of Nethinim, some of whom returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 43, 49; Neh. 7:51.

UZZAH

(Uzʹzah) [(Jehovah is) strength].

1. A Merarite Levite.—1 Chron. 6:29.

2. A son of Abinadab, undoubtedly a Levite. Uzzah and his brother Ahio led the wagon carrying the ark of the covenant from their house when David wanted it brought to Jerusalem. When the bulls pulling the wagon nearly caused an upset, Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold to steady the Ark, for which Jehovah struck him dead on the spot. David named the place Perez-uzzah because there Jehovah had broken through in a “rupture against Uzzah.”—2 Sam. 6:3-8; 1 Chron. 13:7-11.

Not withstanding Uzzah’s presumably good intentions to prevent the Ark from falling, it was judged as an “irreverent act.” (2 Sam. 6:7) This was because deliberate disobedience was involved. Jehovah had instructed that under no circumstances was the Ark to be touched by unauthorized persons, a warning of public knowledge that carried with it the death penalty for violators. (Num. 4:15, 19, 20) Had authorized ones, Kohathite Levites, carried it with the poles on their shoulders as God had directed, God’s anger would not have been incurred.—Ex. 25:13, 14; Num. 7:9.

UZZEN-SHEERAH

(Uzʹzen-sheʹe·rah) [ear (point) of Sheerah].

A city that Sheerah, an Ephraimite woman, built. In what sense she ‘built’ is not stated; perhaps this was in the sense of her contributing in some major way to the progress and development of this and other places listed. (1 Chron. 7:22-24) Uzzen-sheerah’s location is not definitely known. However, some geographers identify it with Beit Sira, less than three miles (c. 5 kilometers) W-SW of the suggested site of Lower Beth-horon and about thirteen miles (c. 21 kilometers) NW of Jerusalem.

UZZI

(Uzʹzi) [(Jehovah is) strength].

1. A son or descendant of Tola in the tribe of Issachar. Uzzi and several of his descendants became heads of ancestral houses.—1 Chron. 7:1-3.

2. A descendant of Benjamin through Belah. Uzzi was a tribal family head.—1 Chron. 7:6, 7.

3. A descendant of Aaron through Eleazar in the high-priestly line; possibly great-grandson of Phinehas; forefather of the Bible writer Ezra.—1 Chron. 6:3-6, 51; Ezra 7:1-5.

4. A Benjamite whose son or descendant lived in postexilic Jerusalem.—1 Chron. 9:3, 7-9.

5. Overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem sometime after the exile; descendant of Asaph.—Neh. 11:22.

6. Head of the priestly paternal house of Jedaiah during the time of High Priest Jeshua’s successor Joiakim. (Neh. 12:1, 12, 19) Possibly identical with No. 7 below.

7. A priest positioned with Nehemiah at the temple for the inauguration of Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall. (Neh. 12:27, 40-42) Perhaps the same person as No. 6 above.

UZZIA

(Uz·ziʹa) [my strength is Jehovah].

A mighty man in David’s forces. Uzzia was an Ashterathite, that is, probably from the town of Ashtaroth E of the Jordan.—1 Chron. 11:26, 44; Josh. 9:10.

UZZIAH

(Uz·ziʹah) [Jehovah is strength].

1. A Kohathite Levite; “son” of Uriel.—1 Chron. 6:22-24.

2. One whose son Jonathan was an official of King David.—1 Chron. 27:25.