Abinoam אֲבִינֹ֫עַם
Father of Barak, the Israelite commander
Biography
Abinoam was the father of Barak, an Israelite commander during the time of the judges. Barak was from Kedesh in Naphtali, a region in northern Israel (Jdg.4.6).
When Israel was oppressed by Jabin, the king of Canaan, and his commander Sisera, the prophetess Deborah summoned Barak and instructed him to gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun to mount an attack against Sisera's army (Jdg.4.6-7). Barak agreed to go only if Deborah would accompany him, to which she consented, but prophesied that the glory of the victory would go to a woman (Jdg.4.8-9).
Barak and his army defeated Sisera's forces, and Sisera himself was killed by Jael, a woman who invited him into her tent and drove a tent peg through his temple while he slept (Jdg.4.12-24).
After the victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to the Lord, recounting the events of the battle and celebrating the triumph of Israel over their oppressors (Jdg.5.1-31). In this song, Barak is referred to as the son of Abinoam (Jdg.5.12), emphasizing his lineage and his role in the victory.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical bookJudges 4 verses
- Judges 4:6
"She sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?"
- Judges 4:12
"They told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor."
- Judges 5:1
"Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,"
- Judges 5:12
"‘Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.’"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲבִינֹ֫עַם | H0042 |