Abinadab אֲבִינָדָב
Kept the ark of God in his house
Biography
Abinadab was a man from Kiriath-jearim in whose house the ark of God was kept for twenty years after it was returned by the Philistines (1Sa.7.1). The ark had been captured by the Philistines in battle, but after God afflicted them with plagues, they sent it back to Israel (1 Samuel 5-6). The men of Beth-shemesh, where the ark first arrived, were struck down by God for looking into the ark, so they sent messengers to Kiriath-jearim to take the ark away (1Sa.6.19-21).
The ark remained in Abinadab's house until King David decided to bring it to Jerusalem. David and the Israelites went to Abinadab's house to retrieve the ark, placing it on a new cart driven by Abinadab's sons, Uzzah and Ahio (2Sa.6.3; 1Ch.13.7). However, when the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, God struck him down for his irreverence (2Sa.6.6-7). After this incident, David left the ark in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months before successfully bringing it to Jerusalem (2Sa.6.10-12).
Family
In Scripture
3 biblical books1 Samuel 1 verse
- 1 Samuel 7:1
"The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark."
2 Samuel 2 verses
- 2 Samuel 6:3
"They set God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house that was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart."
- 2 Samuel 6:4
"They brought it out of Abinadab’s house, which was in the hill, with God’s ark; and Ahio went before the ark."
1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 13:7
"They carried God’s ark on a new cart, and brought it out of Abinadab’s house; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲבִינָדָב | H0041G |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | אֲבִינָדָב | H0041G |