Lexical Summary Abiyyam: Abijam Original Word: אֲביָּם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Abijam From 'ab and yam; father of (the) sea (i.e. Seaman); Abijam (or Abijah), a king of Judah -- Abijam. see HEBREW 'ab see HEBREW yam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ab and yam Definition "father of (the) sea," an Isr. name NASB Translation Abijam (5). Topical Lexicon Name and Meaning Abijam (Hebrew אֲביָּם) is rendered “my father is Yam” or, by textual variation, “my father is Yah.” The first captures the royal setting in which ancient Near-Eastern monarchs occasionally bore theophoric titles referencing cosmic dominion; the second aligns the king with Israel’s covenant God. The variant “Abijah” in 2 Chronicles 13 preserves the explicitly Yahwistic form and signals the theological tension that surrounds this short-lived ruler. Biblical Occurrences 1 Kings 14:31 introduces Abijam as the son and successor of Rehoboam. 1 Kings 15:1, 7, 8 record the span of his reign, his conflict with Jeroboam, and his death. The complementary narrative in 2 Chronicles 13 (where he is called Abijah) supplies additional detail but does not employ the exact form אֲביָּם. Historical Setting and Reign Abijam ruled the kingdom of Judah about 913-911 B.C., during the eighteenth year of Jeroboam I of Israel. Scripture assigns him three years on the throne (1 Kings 15:2), a reign marked by domestic apostasy and international strife: “ And he walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had been. Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by preserving Jerusalem.” (1 Kings 15:3-4) Kings therefore weighs Abijam in the scales of the Davidic covenant and finds him wanting. High-place worship, syncretism, and moral laxity continued unchecked, so the southern throne teetered between the promises to David and the curses warned of in Deuteronomy. Chronicles’ Supplemental Portrait 2 Chronicles 13 does not contradict Kings but highlights a single moment of faith. Facing overwhelming forces, Abijah (Abijam) publicly appeals to the covenant “of salt” given to David, insists on the legitimacy of the Jerusalem priesthood, and relies on divine intervention (2 Chronicles 13:4-12). The victory that follows underlines the grace of God to the house of David despite the king’s overall failure. Kings records the prevailing pattern; Chronicles showcases the exceptional act, both converging on the same theological lesson: Judah’s hope rests on the LORD, not on the monarch’s merit. Theological and Covenant Themes 1. Faithfulness versus apostasy: Abijam embodies the tension between inherited privilege and personal responsibility. Genealogical Line and Messianic Hope Abijam fathers Asa, whose reforms prepare the way for later revivals under Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. The genealogy traced in Matthew 1:7 passes from “Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa” directly to Jesus Christ, demonstrating that divine election, not human perfection, secures the messianic line. Practical Reflections • God’s covenant faithfulness endures unfaithful leaders; His purposes march forward even through compromised vessels. Abijam’s brief rule, therefore, stands as a cautionary tale entwined with a thread of hope: the unbreakable commitment of the LORD to the house of David and, through that house, to the redemption of the world. Forms and Transliterations אֲבִיָּ֖ם אֲבִיָּ֥ם אֲבִיָּם֙ אבים ’ă·ḇî·yām ’ăḇîyām aviYamLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 14:31 HEB: הָעַמֹּנִ֑ית וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אֲבִיָּ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ NAS: the Ammonitess. And Abijam his son KJV: an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son INT: the Ammonitess became and Abijam his son his place 1 Kings 15:1 1 Kings 15:7 1 Kings 15:7 1 Kings 15:8 5 Occurrences |
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