Abitub
Abitub was a son of Shaharaim, a Benjaminite, and is mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Benjamin.
Biography
Abitub is recorded among the sons of Shaharaim, a Benjaminite, who sent away earlier wives and fathered children in the land of Moab (1 Chronicles 8:8-11). Abitub and his brother Elpaal were born to Shaharaim's wife Hushim. These sons then became ancestors of families who settled in various Benjaminite towns, including Ono and Lod. Though Abitub himself receives no further narrative development, he stands at the head of a clan within Benjamin, participating in the gradual repopulation and settlement of the tribal lands. The Benjaminite genealogies in 1 Chronicles 8 appear to have special interest for the Chronicler, as Benjamin's territory abutted Jerusalem and its families featured prominently in the post-exilic restoration.
Significance
Abitub's lineage within the Benjaminite register (1 Chronicles 8) reflects the biblical emphasis on the preservation of tribal identity through family memory. Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes, had nearly been annihilated during the civil war described in Judges 20, making the careful enumeration of its surviving families an act of profound theological hope. Each name recorded in these lists testifies to God's faithfulness in sustaining the covenant community through periods of displacement, fragmentation, and exile, so that the full twelve-tribe identity of Israel could be reconstituted in the post-exilic period.
Verse Appearances (1)
1 Chronicles
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]