Abi

my father

Abi

mother of King Hezekiah, (2 Kings 18:2) written ABIA, ABIAH, OR ABIJAH, ABIJAH OR ABIJAM in (2 Chronicles 29:1)

ABI (1)

a'-bi ('abhi): The name of the mother of King Hezekiah, as given in 2 Kings 18:2. Most naturally explained as a contraction of Abijah ("Yahweh is a father," or "is my father"), found in the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 29:1. The spelling in the oldest translations seems to indicate that 'abhi is not a copyist's error, but a genuine contracted form. She is spoken of as the daughter of Zechariah, and was of course the wife of Ahaz.

ABI (2)

a'-bi, in the composition of names ('abhi, "father"): The Hebrew words 'abh, "father," and 'ach, "brother," are used in the forming of names, both at the beginning and at the end of words, e.g. Abram ("exalted one"), Joah ("Yahweh is brother"), Ahab ("father's brother"). At the beginning of a word, however, the modified forms 'abhi and 'achi are the ones commonly used, e.g. Ahimelech ("king's brother") and Abimelech (by the same analogy "king's father").

These forms have characteristics which complicate the question of their use in proper names. Especially since the publication in 1896 of Studies in Hebrew Proper Names, by G. Buchanan Gray, the attention of scholars has been called to this matter, without the reaching of any perfect consensus of opinion.

The word 'abhi may be a nominative with an archaic ending ("father"), or in the construct state ("father-of"), or the form with the suffix ("my father"). Hence a proper name constructed with it may supposedly be either a clause or a sentence; if it is a sentence, either of the two words may be either subject or predicate. That is to say, the name Abimelech may supposedly mean either "father of a king," or "a king is father," or "a father is king," or "my father is king," or "a king is my father." Further, the clause "father of a king" may have as many variations of meaning as there are varieties of the grammatical genitive. Further still, it is claimed that either the word father or the word king may, in a name, be a designation of a deity. This gives a very large number of supposable meanings from which, in any case, to select the intended meaning.

The older scholarship regarded all these names as construct clauses. For example, Abidan is "father of a judge." It explained different instances as being different varieties of the genitive construction; for instance, Abihail, "father of might," means mighty father. The woman's name Abigail, "father of exultation," denotes one whose father is exultant. Abishai, "father of Jesse," denotes one to whom Jesse is father, and so with Abihud, "father of Judah," Abiel, "father of God," Abijah, "father of Yahweh." See the cases in detail in Gesenius' Lexicon.

The more recent scholarship regards most or all of the instances as sentences. In some cases it regards the second element in a name as a verb or adjective instead of a noun; but that is not important, inasmuch as in Hebrew the genitive construction might persist, even with the verb or adjective. But in the five instances last given the explanation, "my father is exultation," "is Jesse," "is Judah," "is God," "is Yahweh," certainly gives the meaning in a more natural way than by explaining these names as construct clauses.

There is sharp conflict over the question whether we ought to regard the suffix pronoun as present in these names-whether the five instances should not rather be translated Yahweh is father, God is father, Judah is father, Jesse is father, exultation is father. The question is raised whether the same rule prevails when the second word is a name or a designation of Deity as prevails in other cases. Should we explain one instance as meaning "my father is Jesse," and another as "God is father"?

A satisfactory discussion of this is possible only under a comprehensive study of Bible names. The argument is more or less complicated by the fact that each scholar looks to see what bearing it may have on the critical theories he holds. In the Hebrew Lexicon of Dr. Francis Brown the explanations exclude the construct theory; in most of the instances they treat a name as a sentence with "my father" as the subject; when the second part of the name is a designation of Deity they commonly make that the subject, and either exclude the pronoun or give it as an alternative. For most persons the safe method is to remember that the final decision is not yet reached, and to consider each name by itself, counting the explanation of it an open question.

See NAMES, PROPER.

The investigations concerning Semitic proper names, both in and out of the Bible, have interesting theological bearings. It has always been recognized that words for father and brother, when combined in proper names with Yah, Yahu, El, Baal, or other proper names of a Deity, indicated some relation of the person named, or of his tribe, with the Deity. It is now held, though with many differences of opinion, that in the forming of proper names many other words, e.g. the words for king, lord, strength, beauty, and others, are also used as designations of Deity or of some particular Deity; and that the words father, brother, and the like may have the same use. To a certain extent the proper names are so many propositions in theology. It is technically possible to go very far in inferring that the people who formed such names thought of Deity or of some particular Deity as the father, the kinsman, the ruler, the champion, the strength, the glory of the tribe or of the individual. In particular one might infer the existence of a widely diffused doctrine of the fatherhood of God. It is doubtless superfluous to add that at present one ought to be very cautious in drawing or accepting inferences in this part of the field of human study.

Willis J. Beecher

21. Abi -- "my father," Hezekiah's mother
... 20, 21. Abi. 22 . "my father," Hezekiah's mother. Transliteration: Abi
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee') Short Definition: Abi. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/21.htm - 6k

45. Abi-albon -- "father of strength," one of David's heroes
Abi-albon. 44, 45. Abi-albon. 46 . "father of strength," one of David's
heroes. Transliteration: Abi-albon Phonetic Spelling: (ab ...
/hebrew/45.htm - 6k

25. Abi Gibon -- father of Gibeon
Abi Gibon. 24, 25. Abi Gibon. 26 . father of Gibeon. Transliteration: Abi Gibon
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee' ghib-one') Short Definition: Gibeon. ...
/hebrew/25.htm - 6k

33. Abi Haezri -- a descendant of Abiezer
Abi Haezri. 32, 33. Abi Haezri. 34 . a descendant of Abiezer.
Transliteration: Abi Haezri Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee'-haw-ez-ree ...
/hebrew/33.htm - 6k

5672. abi -- thickness
abi or obi. 5671, 5672. abi or obi. 5673 . thickness. Transliteration: abi
or obi Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee') Short Definition: thick. ...
/hebrew/5672.htm - 6k

1. ab -- father
... 333), fathers' (120), fathers' households (1), forefather (1), forefathers (27),
grandfather (1), grandfathers (1), households (5), Huram-abi* (2), sons (1). ...
/hebrew/1.htm - 6k

2361. Churam -- a Benjamite, also two Arameans (Syrians)
... Word Origin short. from Achiram Definition a Benjamite, also two Arameans
(Syrians) NASB Word Usage Huram (10), Huram-abi* (2). Huram. ...
/hebrew/2361.htm - 6k

Appendices
... Ine-Sin (probably followed by Sumu-abi). FIRST DYNASTY OF BABYLON, BC2478.
Sumu-abi or Samu-abi, 14 (or 15) years.[12] Sumu-la-ilu, his son, 36 (or 35) years. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

None Greater than John the Baptist, Yet. . .
... Testament. When we are first introduced to Gideon, the youngest son of Joash
the Abi-ezrite, he is not in a very dignified position. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xii none greater than john.htm

The Service Common to the Holy Angels and Other Bodiless Ones.
... And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite ; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter iv the service common.htm

Literature.
... A history of Arabic literature to 987, by an Arab of Bagdad, usually called Ibn
Abi Jakub An-Nad??m; brought to light by Fl?�gel, and published after his death ...
/.../writings in connection with the manichaean controversy /chapter i name.htm

Where to Find Fruit
... being found, implying perhaps, that we must look for it"not because there is little,
or here and there a cluster, like the grape-gleanings of Abi-ezer; but ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/where to find fruit.htm

Babylonia and Assyria
... The founder of the dynasty was Sumu-abi, "Shem is my father," a name in which
we cannot fail to recognise the Shem of the Old Testament. ...
/.../early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter vi babylonia and assyria.htm

Chapter xxxvi
... In v.9 we have an instance where the name of an individual doubtless is used as
a tribal name, for Esau is called 'abi Edom, "the father of Edom," in the sense ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvi.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... The fragment of Menander 'which has preserved for us the list of Tyrian kings from
Abi-baal to Pygmalion, was only quoted by Josephus, because, the seventh ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... It may also be considered, like Kapridargila or Kapranisha, as being formed of Kapru
and abi; this latter element appears to exist in the ancient name of Telaba ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Heidelberg Catechism. AD 1563.
... [1005] On the door of his study he inscribed the warning, 'Amice, quisquis huc
venis, aut agita paucis, aut abi, aut me laborantem adjuva.'. ...
/.../ 69 the heidelberg catechism.htm

Abi (2 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ABI (1). ... She is spoken of as the daughter
of Zechariah, and was of course the wife of Ahaz. ABI (2). ...
/a/abi.htm - 12k

Abi-albon (1 Occurrence)
Abi-albon. Abialbon, Abi-albon. Abi-al'bon . Easton's Bible Dictionary
Father of ... 32). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ABI-ALBON. ab ...
/a/abi-albon.htm - 7k

Abi-ezer (3 Occurrences)
Abi-ezer. Abiezer, Abi-ezer. Abi-e'zer . Multi-Version Concordance
Abi-ezer (3 Occurrences). Judges 6:34 and the Spirit ...
/a/abi-ezer.htm - 7k

Abi-keilah (1 Occurrence)
Abi-keilah. Abi'jam, Abi-keilah. Abila . Multi-Version Concordance
Abi-keilah (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 4:19 and ...
/a/abi-keilah.htm - 6k

Abi-ezrites (2 Occurrences)
Abi-ezrites. Abiezrites, Abi-ezrites. Abiez'rites . Multi-Version
Concordance Abi-ezrites (2 Occurrences). Judges 6:24 ...
/a/abi-ezrites.htm - 7k

Abi-ezrite (2 Occurrences)
Abi-ezrite. Abiezrite, Abi-ezrite. Abiez'rite . Multi-Version
Concordance Abi-ezrite (2 Occurrences). Judges 6:11 And ...
/a/abi-ezrite.htm - 7k

Abi-hebron (1 Occurrence)
Abi-hebron. Ab'ihail, Abi-hebron. Abihu . Multi-Version Concordance
Abi-hebron (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 2:42 And ...
/a/abi-hebron.htm - 6k

Abi'jam (4 Occurrences)
Abi'jam. Abijam, Abi'jam. Abi-keilah . Multi-Version Concordance
Abi'jam (4 Occurrences). 1 Kings 14:31 And Rehoboam ...
/a/abi'jam.htm - 7k

Abi'tub (1 Occurrence)
Abi'tub. Abitub, Abi'tub. Abiud . Multi-Version Concordance Abi'tub (1 Occurrence).
1 Chronicles 8:11 and of Hushim he begot Abitub, and Elpaal. ...
/a/abi'tub.htm - 6k

Abi'el (3 Occurrences)
Abi'el. Abiel, Abi'el. Abiezer . Multi-Version Concordance
Abi'el (3 Occurrences). 1 Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man ...
/a/abi'el.htm - 7k

Who was Huram / Hiram in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the mighty men of David? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus