Who was Ahio in the Bible?

Ahio was a son of Elpaal and a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin, mentioned in a genealogy. He is listed among the family heads of his tribe, indicating his place in the lineage of God's people (1 Chronicles 8:14).

Why is Ahio mentioned in the Bible?

Ahio's mention, while brief, is significant for establishing the historical and genealogical record of the tribe of Benjamin. His inclusion helps trace the lineage of Israel and confirms the meticulous record-keeping found in Scripture, particularly in Chronicles.

What did Ahio do in the Bible?

The Bible does not record any specific events or actions from Ahio's life. His sole appearance is in a genealogical list, identifying him by his father and his tribal affiliation (1 Chronicles 8:14).

Ahio

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleSon

Ahio was a son of Elpaal and a descendant of Benjamin. (1Ch.8.14)

Ahio

Biography

Ahio, son of Elpaal, is listed among the descendants of Benjamin in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles 8:14. He appears in a section cataloguing the sons of Beriah and Shema, prominent Benjamite clans that settled in various towns throughout the tribal territory. The name Ahio means "brotherly" or "his brother," and it appears multiple times in the Benjamite genealogies, suggesting it was a name in common use within the tribe. This particular Ahio is assigned to the era of the Egyptian sojourn and wilderness wandering, indicating his place deep within the ancestral history of Benjamin. Like many figures in the genealogical passages of Chronicles, he is known solely by name and lineage, without any recorded personal narrative.

Significance

While Ahio son of Elpaal is a peripheral figure, his inclusion in the Chronicler's meticulous genealogies carries theological weight. The genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9 serve as a theological preamble, establishing continuity between Israel's patriarchal origins and the post-exilic community. Every name in these lists affirms that God's covenant with the tribes of Israel was not merely an abstraction but was embodied in real families and individuals across generations. Ahio's presence reminds readers that God's redemptive story encompasses the obscure as well as the famous, and that faithful preservation of lineage was itself an act of communal identity and hope.

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 8:14

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]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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