HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H49
אֲבִישַׁג
a.vi.shag — Abishag
A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.1.3 § Abishag = "my father is a wanderer" David's beautiful young nurse
5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
Abishag
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Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term
How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
Historical dictionary entry
Father of (i.e., “given to”) error, a young woman of Shunem, distinguished for her beauty. She was chosen to minister to David in his old age. She became his wife (1 Kings 1:3, 4, 15). After David’s death Adonijah persuaded Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, to entreat the king to permit him to marry Abishag. Solomon suspected in this request an aspiration to the throne, and therefore caused him to be put to death (1 Kings 2:17-25).
Scripture references
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.
Scripture cited by this entry (KJV)
Read the quoted verses in their chapters to evaluate the historical dictionary references.
1 Kings 1:3
So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
1 Kings 1:4
And the damsel [was] very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
1 Kings 1:15
And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.