Bible Word Study
אֲבִיָּה
ʼĂbîyâh · Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two Israelitesses
אֲבִיָּה
Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two Israelitesses
Definition
Abijah is a Hebrew proper name meaning 'Yahweh is my father' or 'worshipper of Yahweh.' It is borne by several significant biblical figures, most notably Abijah, the son of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 14:1), and Abijah, the son of Rehoboam who became king of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:1). The name also refers to a priestly division (1 Chronicles 24:10) and several other minor characters, including a son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2) and a descendant of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:28). In all cases, the name signifies a relationship with or devotion to the God of Israel.
Biblical Usage
The name Abijah appears 25 times in the Old Testament, primarily in historical and genealogical contexts within 1-2 Chronicles, 1 Kings, and 1 Samuel. It is used for kings (1 Kings 14:1, 2 Chronicles 11:20), priests and Levites (1 Chronicles 24:10, 1 Chronicles 6:28), and other tribal leaders (1 Chronicles 2:24, 1 Chronicles 7:8). Its usage consistently marks individuals within the covenant community of Israel.
Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew roots אָב ('av, H1), meaning 'father,' and יָהּ (Yah, H3050), a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. The name is a theophoric compound, literally 'my father is Yah.' The longer form, Abijahu (אֲבִיָּהוּ), appears in some instances (e.g., 1 Chronicles 3:10), emphasizing the same meaning.
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name, Abijah directly confesses Yahweh as Father, a key covenantal concept. It reflects the personal and relational faith of Israelite families who named their children to acknowledge God's sovereignty and patronage. Understanding this name enriches reading by highlighting the personal devotion expected within the covenant, foreshadowing the New Testament revelation of God as Father to believers. The story of King Abijah in 2 Chronicles 13, where he appeals to Judah's covenant loyalty, demonstrates the name's theological weight in a national context. In ancient Israel, names were often descriptive or declarative. Giving a child a name like Abijah was an act of faith, publicly identifying the child and family with Yahweh. It differed from modern naming conventions, where meaning is often secondary to sound. This practice embedded theological statements into everyday life and genealogy. Ahaziah (אֲחַזְיָה, H274) — Means 'Yahweh has grasped'; another theophoric name combining a different verb with Yahweh. | Jehoiachin (יְהוֹיָכִין, H3078) — Means 'Yahweh establishes'; a theophoric name using the full form 'Yahweh' (יהוה).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]