The Greek form of the Hebrew name Lēwî (H3878). Leuis refers primarily to Levi son of Alphaeus — the tax collector called by Jesus who became the apostle Matthew (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-29). Also the name of the priestly tribe descending from Levi son of Jacob.
The name Levi in the OT means 'attached, joined' — from Leah's prayer: 'Now my husband will become attached to me' (Gen. 29:34). The tribe of Levi was set apart for priestly service — no land inheritance, but God Himself as their portion (Num. 18:20). In the NT, the appearance of a tax collector named Levi being called by Jesus carries deliberate irony: Levi the tribe was the priestly intermediary between God and Israel; Levi the tax collector was a ritual outcast, a traitor collaborating with Rome, ceremonially unclean. Jesus' call of Levi-Matthew dismantles all religious hierarchy: the new priesthood is constituted by call, not by lineage. Matthew's immediate response — 'he got up, left everything and followed him' (Luke 5:28) — and his celebration banquet for 'tax collectors and sinners' models the kingdom's radical inclusion. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32).