Original Word: אֲבִיָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Abiyah
Pronunciation: ah-bee-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-ee-yaw')
KJV: Abiah, Abijah
NASB: Abijah
Word Origin: [from H1 (אָב - father) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. father (i.e. worshipper) of Jah
2. Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two Israelitesses

Abiah, Abijah

Or prolonged Abiyahuw {ab-ee-yaw'-hoo}; from 'ab and Yahh; father (i.e. Worshipper) of Jah; Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two Israelitesses -- Abiah, Abijah.

see HEBREW 'ab

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from ab and Yah
Definition
"Yah is my father," an Isr. name
NASB Translation
Abijah (25).

אֲבִיָּ֫הוּ proper name, masculine & feminine (Yah(u) is (my) father) — so 2 Chronicles 13:20,21 = אֲבִיָּם 1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:1,7 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 15:8 (ᵐ5 Ἀβιου, Ἀβια); = אֲבִי 2 Kings 18:2 (ᵐ5 Ἀβου, Ἀβουθ); = אֲבִיָּה 1 Samuel 8:2 22t. —

1 king of Judah, son & successor of Rehoboam 1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:1,7 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 15:8; 1 Chronicles 3:10; 2Chronicles 11:20,22; 12:16; 13:1,2,3,4,15,17,19,20,21,22; 2 Chronicles 13:23.

2 2nd son of Samuel 1 Samuel 8:2; 1 Chronicles 6:13.

3 son of Jerob. I 1 Kings 14:1.

4 son of Becher, a Benjamite 1 Chronicles 7:8.

5 head of a priestly house 1 Chronicles 24:10.

6 id. Nehemiah 10:8; Nehemiah 12:4,17.

7 wife of Hezron 1 Chronicles 2:24.

8 mother of Hezekiah 2 Kings 18:2; 2Chronicles 29:1.

The Name in the Canonical Narrative

“Abijah” (’ăvîyâ, “Yah is my father”) surfaces twenty-five times in the Hebrew Scriptures, attached to men and women who appear in roles that span Israel’s tribal era, the united and divided monarchies, the priestly orders, and the post-exilic community. Together they trace a continuous witness to the covenant faithfulness of God, whether through warning, royal deliverance, or priestly service.

1. Abijah son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2–5; 1 Chronicles 6:28)

The first Abijah belongs to the transition from judges to monarchy. Samuel appointed “his firstborn son Joel and his second son Abijah” as judges in Beersheba (1 Samuel 8:2). Their corruption (“they turned aside after dishonest gain,” v. 3) provoked Israel’s plea for a king. Thus Abijah’s failure becomes one of the final catalysts in Israel’s rejection of the theocratic arrangement, underscoring how private sin can accelerate public apostasy.

2. Abijah son of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 14:1–18)

When the northern kingdom’s founding king slides into idolatry, the sickness of his son Abijah brings prophetic judgment. Nevertheless the prophet Ahijah announces: “Because in him there is found something good toward the LORD, the God of Israel” (v. 13), Abijah alone receives an honorable burial. His early death prefigures the coming downfall of Jeroboam’s house and demonstrates that the Lord weighs individual hearts even while judging dynastic sin.

3. Abijah wife of Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:24)

After Hezron’s death, “Hezron’s wife Abijah bore him Ashhur, the father of Tekoa.” From this brief genealogical note emerges the ancestral root of Tekoa, later home of the prophet Amos. The mention affirms the steady advance of the Judahite line through which the Messianic promise will flow.

4. Abijah in the Tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:8)

Listed among the sons of Becher, he represents another branch of Benjamin. Though unaccompanied by narrative, his inclusion preserves the record of God’s fidelity to all twelve tribes.

5. Abijah, Head of the Eighth Priestly Division (1 Chronicles 24:10; Nehemiah 12:4, 17)

During David’s organization of temple service, “the eighth [lot] fell to Abijah.” Centuries later, the line is still traceable in post-exilic Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12). Luke will later cite this division to date the ministry of Zechariah and the conception of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5), showing how the Old Testament priestly orders prepared the way for New Testament fulfillment.

6. Abijah, Mother in the Royal House of Judah (2 Chronicles 29:1)

Hezekiah’s mother is identified as “Abijah daughter of Zechariah.” Her godly son becomes the reformer-king who restores temple worship. The chronicler’s record links a mother named “Yah is my father” with a son who leads Judah back to the Father.

7. Abijah, King of Judah (Abijam) (1 Chronicles 3:10; 2 Chronicles 11:20–14:1)

a. Accession and Family—Grandson of Solomon, son of Rehoboam, and father of Asa.

b. Covenant Argument—Facing an Israelite army “twice as numerous,” he stands on Mount Zemaraim and cries, “God Himself is with us as our head” (2 Chronicles 13:12).

c. Divine Intervention—“God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah” (v. 15). The victory, though military, is attributed solely to covenant loyalty.

d. Mixed Record—Kings records his reign in negative moral terms (1 Kings 15:3), while Chronicles highlights his faith-filled appeal to divine order. The combined testimony teaches the complexity of human leadership—flawed yet at times faith-anchored—and the unwavering righteousness of God’s throne.

8. Abijah in the Restoration Community (Nehemiah 10:7)

One “Abijah” seals the renewed covenant under Nehemiah. His signature stands with those vowing to obey the Law, a visible link between pre-exilic failure and post-exilic obedience.

Theological and Ministry Threads

• Covenant Identity: Every bearer of the name implicitly confesses that Yahweh, not an earthly patriarch, is the true Father.

• Accountability Across Offices: Whether judge, king, priest, or common citizen, each Abijah shows that privilege without obedience invites discipline, while faith, even in obscurity, secures divine favor.

• Continuity of Promise: From tribal lists to priestly courses to royal lineage, the name threads through Scripture until it intersects the birth narrative of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

• Hope in Judgment: The death of Jeroboam’s son and the military deliverance under King Abijah both reveal that judgment and mercy are not opposites but twin facets of God’s covenant dealings.

Summary

Abijah is more than a recurring personal name; it is a living testimony that the Fatherhood of Yahweh governs Israel’s history—correcting, preserving, and guiding His people toward the ultimate revelation of the Son in whom the Father is perfectly revealed.

אֲבִיָּ֑ה אֲבִיָּ֑הוּ אֲבִיָּ֔ה אֲבִיָּ֔הוּ אֲבִיָּ֖ה אֲבִיָּ֗ה אֲבִיָּ֜ה אֲבִיָּ֥ה אֲבִיָּֽה׃ אֲבִיָּה֙ אֲבִיָּה֮ אביה אביה׃ אביהו וַאֲבִיָּ֔ה וַאֲבִיָּֽה׃ ואביה ואביה׃ לַאֲבִיָּ֖ה לאביה ’ă·ḇî·yā·hū ’ă·ḇî·yāh ’ăḇîyāh ’ăḇîyāhū aviYah aviYahu la’ăḇîyāh la·’ă·ḇî·yāh laaviYah vaaviYah wa’ăḇîyāh wa·’ă·ḇî·yāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts