2. The wife of Nabal, a prosperous but churlish sheep-master in the district of Carmel, west of the Dead Sea (1 Sam. xxv, 3). B.C. 10G0. Her prompti- tude and discretion averted the wrath of David, which, as she justly apprehended, had been violently excited by the insulting treatment which his messengers had received from her husband (comp. Josephus, Ant. vi, 13, 6-8). See Nabad. She hastily prepared a lib- eral supply of provisions, of which David's troop stood in much need, and went forth to meet him, attended by only one servant, without the knowl- edge of her husband. When they met, he was marching to exterminate Nabal and all that belonged to him ; and not only was his rage mollified by her prudent remonstrances and delicate management, but he became sensible that the vengeance which he had purposed was not warranted by the circumstances, and was thankful that he had been prevented from shed- ding innocent blood (1 Sam. xxv, 14-35). The beauty and prudence of Abigail (see 11. Hughes, Female Char- art '( r.-;, ii, 250 sq.) made such an impression upon Da- vid on this occasion, that when, not long after, he heard of Nabal's death, he sent for her, and she lie- came his wife ( 1 Sam. xxv, 39-42). She accompanied him in all his future fortunes (1 Sam. xxvii, 3 ; xxx, 5; 2 Sam. ii, 2). See David. By her he had one son, Chileab (2 Sam. iii, 3), who is probably the same elsewhere called Daniel (1 Chron. iii, 1). — Kitto, s. v.
Abiha'il (Heb. Abicha'yil, ^Tl^^, father of [I e. endowed, with] might, or perhaps leader of the song), the name of three men and two women.
1. (Sept. 'AfitXai\.) The father of Zuriel, which latter was the chief of the Levitical family of Merari at the exode (Num. iii, 35). B.C. ante 1657.
2. (Sept. 'Aftiyaia v. r. 'Afiixaia.) The wife of Abishur (of the family of Jerahmeel), and mother of Ahban and Molid ( 1 Chron. ii, 29, where the name in some MSS. is A biha'yil, b^(l"2X, apparently by error). B.C. considerably post 1612.
3. (Sept. 'A/3iy/n'rr.) The son of Huri, and one of the family chiefs of the tribe of Gad, who settled in Bashan (1 Chron. v, 14), B.C. between 1093 and 7.S2.
4. (Sept. 'A(3ia'id\ v. r. 'Afitaia and 'Aftixaia.) The second wife of king Rehoboam, to whom she or the previous wife bore several sons (2 Chron. xi, 18). B.C. 972. She is there .ailed the "daughter" of Eliab, the son of Jesse, which must mean descendant [see Father], since David, the j-oungest of his fa- ther's sons, was thirty years old when he began to reign, eighty years before her marriage.
5. (Sept. 'Ajuvaddfi v. r. 'Afiixaia.) The father
of Esther, and uncle of Mordecai (Esther ii, 15 ; ix, 29 ; comp. ii, 7). B.C. ante 479.
Abi'hu (Heb. Abihu', &MSTOK, lit. father [i. e. worshipper] of Him, sc. God; Sept. 'Afiiove, Josephus 'Afiiovc, Vulg. Abiu), the second of the sons of Aaron by Elisheba (Exod. vi, 23 ; Num. iii, 2 ; xxvi, 60; 1 Chron. vi, 3; xxiv, 1), who, with his brothers Nadab, Eleazar, and Ithamar, was set apart and con- secrated for the priesthood (Exod. xxviii, 1). "With his father and elder brother, he accompanied the sev- enty elders partly up the mount which Moses ascend- ed to receive the divine communication (Exod. xxiv, 1, 9). "When, at the first establishment of the cere- monial worship, the victims offered on the great bra- zen altar were consumed bjr fire from heaven, it was directed that this fire should always be kept up, and that the daily incense should be burnt in censers fill- ed with it from the great altar (see Lev. vi, 9 sq.). But one day Nadab and Abihu presumed to neglect this regulation, and offered incense in censers filled with "strange" or common fire, B.C. 1657. For this they were instantly struck dead b}' lightning, and were tak- en away and buried in their clothes without the camp (Lev. x, 1-11 ; comp. Num. iii, 4 ; xxvi, 61 ; 1 Chron. xxiv, 2). See Aaron. There can be no doubt that this severe example had the intended effect of en- forcing becoming attention to the most minute observ- ances of the ritual service. As immediately after the record of this transaction, and in apparent reference to it, comes a prohibition of wine or strong drink to the priests whose turn it might be to enter the taber- nacle, it is not unfairly surmised that Nadab and Abi- hu were intoxicated when they committed this serious error in their ministrations. — Kitto, s.v. See Nadab.
Abi'hvid (Heb. Abihud' ', "WmiS, father [i. e. pos- sessor] of renown, q. d. n«rpoic\oe ; Sept. and N. T. 'Af3touo), the name of two men.
1. One of the sons of Bela, the son of Benjamin (1 Chron. viii, 3) ; apparently the same elsewhere called Ahihud (ver. 7). B.C. post 1856. See Jacob.
2. The great-great-grandson of Zerubbabel, and fa- ther of Eliakim, among the paternal ancestry of Jesus (Matt, i, 13, where the name is Anglicized " Abiud") ; apparently the same with the Juda, son of Joanna and father of .Joseph in the maternal line (Luke iii, 26) ; and also with Obadiaii, son of Arnan and father of Shechaniah in the O. T. (1 Chron. iii, 21). B.C. ante 410. (See Strong's Harmony and Ej-pios. of the Gosp. p. 16.) Comp. Hodaiaii.