Boy Old Testament Known
Uriah
or Urijah, the Lord is my light or fire
אוּרִיָּה
Uriah (Hebrew: אוּרִיָּה, Ourias) means “or Urijah, the Lord is my light or fire”, by traditional interpretation. Five men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a warrior. In 2025 it was given to 457 children in the United States, ranking 648. Around 12,992 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears in the same passages as Abihud.
Which Uriah?
Five men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Uriah
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Uriah
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Uriah
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Uriah
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Uriah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 34 across 9 books
- Bearers
- 5 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- United Monarchy
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 457 | Steady |
| All-time total | 12,992 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 592 in 2014 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | CA | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Samuel 11:3 |
| Last appears | Matthew 1:6 |
| Cross-references | 520 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Heth co-occurrence Appears with Heth in 2 Samuel 11.
- Hakkoz co-occurrence Appears with Hakkoz in Nehemiah 3.
- Abimelech co-occurrence Appears with Abimelech in 2 Samuel 11.
- Maaseiah co-occurrence Appears with Maaseiah in Nehemiah 8.
- Shemaiah co-occurrence Appears with Shemaiah in Jeremiah 26.
- Hashbaddanah co-occurrence Appears with Hashbaddanah in Nehemiah 8.
- Hashum co-occurrence Appears with Hashum in Nehemiah 8.
- Malchijah co-occurrence Appears with Malchijah in Nehemiah 8.
Origin & meaning
Uriah was a priest during the reign of King Ahaz who followed the king's instructions in building a new altar based on a pagan model from Damascus.
The biblical story
Uriah was a priest who served during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah (2Ki.16.10-16; Isa.8.2). When Ahaz visited Damascus to meet with the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser, he saw a pagan altar that impressed him. Ahaz sent a model of the altar to Uriah, instructing him to build a replica in Jerusalem. Uriah faithfully followed the king's instructions and built the altar. Upon Ahaz's return, the king made offerings on the new altar and modified the temple's ritual to accommodate it, displacing the bronze altar prescribed by God. Uriah's compliance with the king's orders, despite their departure from proper worship, reflects the religious compromise and syncretism that characterized Ahaz's reign. The prophet Isaiah mentions Uriah as a witness to his prophecy about the coming Immanuel (Isa.8.2), suggesting that Uriah was a recognized figure in Jerusalem's priestly community.
Key verses
Uriah appears in 5 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
2 Kings 16:10 -
And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
2 Kings 16:11 -
And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
2 Kings 16:15 -
Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
2 Kings 16:16 -
And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
Isaiah 8:2
Show all 5 references
2 Kings (4)
- 2 Kings 16:10
- 2 Kings 16:11
- 2 Kings 16:15
- 2 Kings 16:16
Isaiah (1)
- Isaiah 8:2