Difference between revisions of "Abijah"

<p> <b> ABIJAH </b> <b> ( </b> אַבִיָה, Ἁβιά, ‘Jah is my father’: or more probably without the particularizing pronoun, ‘Jah is father’).—. Son of [[Rehoboam]] (&nbsp;Matthew 1:7) by [[Maacah]] (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:20—see art. ‘Maacah’ No. 3 in Hastings’ B [Note: Dictionary of the Bible.] iii. 180). Abijah reigned over Judah from about b.c. 920, and the impressions made by him are given with some variety in &nbsp;1 Kings 15:3 and by a later tradition in &nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:4-22. His name is introduced by St. Matthew simply as a link in the pedigree, in which it is shown that Jesus was both of [[Jewish]] and of royal stock. </p> <p> <b> 2. </b> A descendant of Eleazar, son of Aaron. The name was attached to the eighth of the twenty-four courses into which the priests were alleged to have been divided by David (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 24:10). [[Members]] of only four courses seem to have returned from the [[Captivity]] (&nbsp;Nehemiah 7:39-42, &nbsp;Ezra 2:36-39; &nbsp;Ezra 10:18-22). According to Jerus. [Note: Jerusalem.] Talm. [Note: Talmud.] <i> Taanith </i> , iv. 68, these men were divided into twenty-four courses with a view to restore the ancient arrangement. The authority for this statement is not of the best kind; but the statement itself is substantially confirmed by &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:1-7, where twenty-two groups are referred to (in &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:12-21 the number has fallen to twenty-one, and two of the courses are grouped under a single representative), and by &nbsp;Ezra 8:2, where two other priestly families are mentioned. [[Slight]] changes were probably made in the classification during the process of the resettlement of the country; but by the time of the Chronicler the arrangement seems to have become fixed. The course of Abijah is not mentioned amongst those that returned from the Exile; but in one of the later rearrangements the name was attached to a course that afterwards included [[Zacharias]] (&nbsp;Luke 1:5). Each course was on duty for a week at a time, but all were expected to officiate as needed at the three great annual festivals. It is not possible with our present materials to determine exactly how the various services were divided amongst the members of a course, or at what times in the year Zacharias would be on duty. Nor does his inclusion in the course of Abijah carry with it lineal descent through that line from Aaron. </p> <p> [[R. W]]  Moss. </p>

<p> <strong> ABIJAH </strong> . <strong> 1 </strong> . Son and successor of Rehoboam (&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 13:1 ), also called <strong> Abijam </strong> (&nbsp; 1 Kings 14:31 ). The accounts of him in the Books of Kings and Chronicles are discrepant. The difference begins with the name of his mother, which 2 Ch. gives as <strong> [[Micaiah]] </strong> , daughter of Uriel of Gibeah, while 1Kings. makes her to have been <strong> Maacah </strong> , daughter of Abishalom. As the latter is also the name of Asa’s mother (&nbsp; 1 Kings 15:10 , &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 15:16 ), there is probably some confusion in the text. Beyond this, the Book of Kings tells us only that he reigned three years, that he walked in the sins of his father, and that he had war with Jeroboam, king of Israel. <strong> 2 </strong> . Samuel’s second son (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 8:2 ). The RV [Note: Revised Version.] retains the spelling <strong> [[Abiah]] </strong> in &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 6:28 . &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 6:3 . A son of Jeroboam I. who died in childhood (&nbsp; 1 Kings 14:1-31 ). <strong> 4 </strong> . One of the ‘heads of fathers’ houses’ of the sons of Eleazar, who gave his name to the 8th of the 24 courses of priests (&nbsp; 1 Chronicles 24:3; &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 24:10 , &nbsp; 2 Chronicles 8:14 ). To this course Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, belonged (&nbsp; Luke 1:5 ). The name occurs also in the lists of priests who ‘went up with Zerubbabel’ (&nbsp; Nehemiah 12:4 ), and of those who ‘sealed unto the covenant’ in the time of Nehemiah (&nbsp; Nehemiah 10:7 ). <strong> 5 </strong> . A son of Becher, son of Benjamin, &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 7:8 . &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 7:6 . Wife of Hezron, eldest son of Perez, son of Judah, &nbsp; 1 Chronicles 2:24 , RV [Note: Revised Version.] <strong> Abiah. 7 </strong> . Wife of Ahaz, and mother of Hezekiah (&nbsp; 2 Chronicles 29:1 ), named <strong> Abi </strong> in &nbsp; 2 Kings 18:2 . </p> <p> [[H. P]]  Smith. </p>

<p> (Heb. Abiyah', '''''אֲבַיָּה''''' [[Father]] [i.e. ''Possessor Or Worshipper'' ] ''Of Jehovah;'' also in the equivalent protracted form Abiya'hu, '''''אֲבַיָּהוּ''''' , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:20-21; Sept. and N.T. '''''‘Αβιά''''' but '''''‘Αβία''''' in &nbsp;1 Kings 14:1; &nbsp;Nehemiah 10:7; '''''‘Αβίας''''' in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 24:10; &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:4; &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:17; '''''‘Αβιού''''' v. r. '''''‘Αβιούδ''''' , in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 7:8; Josephus, '''''‘Αβίας''''' , ''Ant.'' 7:10, 3; Auth. Vers. '''''‘''''' "Abiah" in &nbsp;1 Samuel 8:2; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:24; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:28; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 7:8; "Abia" in &nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:10; &nbsp;Matthew 1:7; &nbsp;Luke 1:5), the name of six men and two women. '''1.''' A son of Becher, one of the sons of Benjamin (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 7:8). B.C. post 1856. </p> <p> '''2.''' The daughter of Machir, who bore to [[Hezron]] a posthumous son, [[Ashur]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 2:24). B.C. cir. 1612. </p> <p> '''3.''' The second son of Samuel (&nbsp;1 Samuel 8:2; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 6:28). Being appointed by his father a judge in Beersheba, in connection with his brother, their corrupt administration induced such popular discontent as to provoke the elders to demand a royal form of government for Israel, B.C. 1093. (See [[Samuel]]). </p> <p> '''4.''' One of the descendants of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, and chief of one of the twenty-four courses or orders into which the whole body of the priesthood was divided by David (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 24:10), B.C. 1014. Of these the course of Abijah was the eighth. Only four of the courses returned from the captivity, of which that of Abijah was not one (&nbsp;Ezra 2:36-39; &nbsp;Nehemiah 7:39-42; &nbsp;Nehemiah 12:1). But the four were divided into the original number of twenty-four, with the original names; and it hence happens that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, is described as belonging to the course of Abijah (&nbsp;Luke 1:5). (See [[Priest]]). </p> <p> '''5.''' The second king of the separate kingdom of Judah, being the son of Rehoboam, and grandson of [[Solomon]] (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 3:10). He is also called (&nbsp;1 Kings 14:31; &nbsp;1 Kings 15:1-8) ABIJAMI (See Abijami) (q.v.). He began to reign B.C. 956, in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, and he reigned three years (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 12:16; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:1-2). At the commencement of his reign, looking on the well-founded separation of the ten tribes from the house of David as rebellion, Abijah made a vigorous attempt to bring them back to their allegiance (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:3-19). In this he failed; although a signal victory over Jeroboam, who had double his force and much greater experience, enabled him to take several cities which had been held by Israel (see [[J. F]]  Bahrdt, De bello Abice et Jerob. Lips. 1760). The speech which Abijah addressed to the opposing army before the battle has been much admired (C. Simeon, Works, 4:96). It was well suited to its object, and exhibits correct notions of the theocratical institutions (Keil, Apolog. d. Chron. p. 336). His view of the political position of the ten tribes with respect to the house of David is, however, obviously erroneous, although such as a king of Judah was likely to take. The numbers reputed to have been present in this action are 800,000 on the side of Jeroboam, 400,000 on the side of Abijah, and 500,000 left dead on the field. Hales and others regard these extraordinary numbers as corruptions, and propose to reduce them to 80,000, 40,000, and 50,000 respectively, as in the Latin [[Vulgate]] of [[Sixtus]] V, and many earlier editions, and in the old Latin translation of Josephus; and probably also in his original Greek text, as is collected by De Vignoles from Abarbanel's charge against the historian of having made Jeroboam's loss no more than 50,000 men, contrary to the Hebrew text (Kennicott's Dissertations, 1:533; 2:201 sq., 564). See NUMBER. The book of Chronicles mentions nothing concerning Abijah adverse to the impressions which we receive from his conduct on this occasion; but in Kings we are told that "he walked in all the sins of his father" (&nbsp;1 Kings 15:3). He had fourteen wives, by whom he left twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:20-22). Asa succeeded him (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 14:1; &nbsp;Matthew 1:7). (See [[Judah]]). </p> <p> There is a difficulty connected with the maternity of Abijah. In &nbsp;1 Kings 15:2, we read, "His mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom" (comp. &nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:20; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 11:22); but in &nbsp;2 Chronicles 13:2, "His mother's name was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah." Maachah and Michaiah are variations of the same name; and Abishalom is in all likelihood Absalom, the son of David. The word ( '''''בִּת''''' ) rendered "daughter" (q.v.), is applied in the Bible not only to a man's child, but to his niece, granddaughter, or great-granddaughter. It is therefore possible that Uriel of [[Gibeah]] married Tamar, the beautiful daughter of Absalom (&nbsp;2 Samuel 14:27), and by her had Maachah, who was thus the daughter of Uriel and granddaughter of Absalom. (See Maachah). </p> <p> '''6.''' A son of Jeroboam 1, king of Israel. His severe and threatening illness induced Jeroboam to send his wife with a present [ (See [[Gift]]) ] suited to the disguise in which she went, to consult the prophet Ahijah respecting his recovery. This prophet was the same who had, in the days of Solomon, foretold to Jeroboam his elevation to the throne of Israel. Though blind with age, he knew the disguised wife of Jeroboam, and was authorized, by the prophetic impulse that came upon him, to reveal to her that, because there was found in Abijah only, of all the house of Jeroboam, "some good thing toward the Lord," he only, of all that house, should come to his grave in peace, and be mourned in Israel (see [[S. C]]  Wilkes, Family Sermons, 12; C. Simeon, Works, 3, 385; T. Gataker, Sermons, pt. 2:291). Accordingly, when the mother returned home, the youth died as she crossed the threshold of the door. "And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him" (&nbsp;1 Kings 14:1-18), B.C. cir. 782. (See Jeroboam). </p> <p> '''7.''' The daughter of Zechariah, and mother of King Hezekiah (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 29:1), and, consequently, the wife of Ahaz, whom she survived, and whom, if we may judge from the piety of her son, she excelled in moral character. She is elsewhere called by the shorter form of the name, ABI (See Abi) (&nbsp;2 Kings 18:2). B.C. 726. Her father, may have been the same with the Zechariah, the son of Jeberechiah, whom Isaiah took as a witness of his marriage with "the prophetess" (&nbsp;Isaiah 8:2; comp. &nbsp;2 Chronicles 26:5). </p> <p> '''8.''' One of those (apparently priests) who affixed their signatures to the covenant made by Nehemiah (&nbsp;Nehemiah 10:7), B.C. 410. He is probably the same (notwithstanding the great age this implies) who returned from [[Babylon]] with Zerubbabel (&nbsp;Nehemiah 12:4), B.C. 536, and who had a son named [[Zichri]] (&nbsp;Nehemiah 12:17). </p>