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AbitubAid to Bible Understanding
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The meaning of the original Hebrew at 1 Chronicles 8:8-11 is not entirely clear.
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AbiudAid to Bible Understanding
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ABIUD
(A·biʹud) [probably from the Hebrew ʼAvi·hudhʹ, meaning “the father of renown” or “the father is majesty”].
The Greekized or Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Abihud. A descendant of Zerubbabel and an ancestor of Christ Jesus. (Matt. 1:13) The term “father” as used by Matthew may have the meaning of “forefather.” Some authorities suggest that he may be the same as “Joda” at Luke 3:26. However, it is not necessary to relate these persons as being the same individual, since the genealogical lines given by Matthew and Luke are only parallel, not identical, while those at 1 Chronicles are independent. Abiud’s son, Eliakim, is also included in the line of descent of the Messiah.—Matt. 1:13.
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AbnerAid to Bible Understanding
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ABNER
(Abʹner) [father of lamp, enlightening].
The son of Ner, of the tribe of Benjamin. First Samuel 14:50, 51 evidently refers to Abner as the “uncle of Saul,” though this phrase in the Hebrew can properly be applied either to Abner or to Ner, his father. Josephus speaks of Abner as Saul’s cousin, and of their fathers, Ner and Kish, as brothers. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book VI, chap. VI, par. 6) However, the inspired history at 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39 seems to weigh heavily in favor of Kish as being the son of Ner and, hence, the brother of Abner. This would make Abner the uncle of Saul.—See also the chart under ABIEL.
Abner served as chief of the army for Saul and his fighting force sometimes assumed major proportions, upward of 200,000 men. (1 Sam. 15:4) On special occasions he sat next to the king at the banquet table. (1 Sam. 20:25) Though undoubtedly a powerful and valiant man, Abner did not feel himself a match for the towering Philistine Goliath, but stood by and witnessed young David’s matchless demonstration of courage in dispatching that formidable opponent. (1 Sam. 17:48-58) Later, when David was a fugitive in the wilderness of Ziph, Abner came in for chiding from David for having failed in properly guarding Saul’s person as his lord and “the anointed of Jehovah.”—1 Sam. 26:14-16.
Following Saul’s death in the crushing defeat administered by the Philistines, Abner withdrew across the Jordan to Mahanaim in Gilead, taking Saul’s son Ish-bosheth with him. Though David had been proclaimed king in Hebron by the tribe of Judah, Abner set up Ish-bosheth as a rival king in Mahanaim. Abner was clearly the power behind the throne and in time obtained the support of all the tribes except Judah on behalf of Ish-bosheth.—2 Sam. 2:8-10.
Eventually, the armies of the two opposing kings met in a test of strength at the pool of Gibeon in the territory of Beniamin, about a third of the way from Hebron to Mahanaim. After the two armies had sized each other up, Abner proposed a contest between a dozen young warriors from each side. The sides were so evenly matched that a mutual slaughter resulted, provoking a full-scale combat between the two armies. Abner’s forces lost eighteen men for every one of Joab’s soldiers and retreated toward the wilderness. (2 Sam. 2:12-17, 30, 31) Abner, pursued by Joab’s fleet-footed brother Asahel, urged him repeatedly to turn his attention elsewhere and avoid a deadly encounter with him. When Asahel kept refusing, Abner finally made a powerful backstroke and killed Asahel with the butt end of his spear, running him through the abdomen. (2 Sam. 2:18-23) At Abner’s appeal, Joab finally called a halt to the pursuit at sundown, and the two armies began marches back to their respective capitals. Their stamina can be seen from the fifty or more miles (80 or more kilometers) that Abner’s forces traveled, down into the basin of the Jordan, fording the river, then up the Jordan valley to the hills of Gilead, where they made their way to Mahanaim. After burying Asahel in Bethlehem (perhaps on the following day), Joab’s men had a night-long hike of over fifteen miles (24 kilometers) through the mountains to Hebron.—2 Sam. 2:29-32.
Abner supported Ish-bosheth’s declining regime but also strengthened his own position, perhaps with an eye on the kingship, since he was, after all, the brother of Saul’s father. When taken to task by Ish-bosheth for having relations with one of Saul’s concubines (an act allowable only to the dead king’s heir), Abner angrily announced the transfer of his support to David’s side. (2 Sam. 3:6-11) He made overtures to David, stressing his own position as virtual ruler of the rest of Israel outside Judah. Satisfying David’s requirement of the return of his wife Michal, Abner now privately approached the heads of the eleven tribes to build up their favor toward Jehovah’s appointed king, David. (2 Sam. 3:12-19) Thereafter he was warmly received by David at his capital in Hebron, and that same day set out to persuade all the tribes to make a covenant with David. But Joab, absent on a raid, returned, and, after denouncing Abner as a conniving spy, personally called him back and tricked Abner into a position where he could kill him.—2 Sam. 3:20-27.
With Abner’s death, any hoped-for support for Ish-bosheth collapsed and Ish-bosheth was soon assassinated by traitorous men. With this the rule of the house of Saul came to a complete end.—2 Sam. 4:1-3, 5-12.
Many years later, while nearing the time of his own death, David remembered Abner’s death (as well as Amasa’s) and charged Solomon with the responsibility of removing the stain of bloodguilt that Joab had brought on David’s house. (1 Ki. 2:1, 5, 6) Shortly thereafter, Abner’s slayer, Joab, was executed by Solomon’s order.—1 Ki. 2:31-34.
Only one son of Abner is listed, Jaasiel, who was a leader in the tribe of Benjamin during David’s reign. (1 Chron. 27:21) First Chronicles 26:28 also mentions Abner’s contributions toward the tabernacle from spoils won as chief of the army.
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AbominationAid to Bible Understanding
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ABOMINATION
The words “abomination,” “abominable,” and “abominably” are used in the Authorized Version in translating eight Hebrew words and four Greek words. Later translations are usually more specific in rendering the original words, and this is helpful since the word “abomination” is rather broad in meaning and is drifting into disuse in everyday speech.
The words most frequently translated as “abomination” or “abominable” in the Authorized Version are ta·ʽavʹ and toh·ʽe·vahʹ. These are considered under the heading DETESTABLE THING.
The Hebrew word ba·ʼashʹ is translated once as “abomination” in the Authorized Version at 1 Samuel 13:4. It there describes the effect of Saul’s attack on the Philistines, and the Authorized Version says that the Israelites were “had in abomination with the Philistines.” Other translations use the words “odious” (RS), “bad odor” (AT), or “foul-smelling’’ (NW), and the marginal reading in the Authorized Version says “did stink.” This is more in harmony with the basic meaning of ba·ʼashʹ, which literally means “to stink,” though it is often used in a metaphorical sense, as in the above text, to indicate that one has become odious to another or others because of his actions.—Gen. 34:30; Ex. 5:21; 1 Sam. 27:12; 2 Sam. 10:6; 16:21; 1 Chron. 19:6; for its literal usage, see Exodus 7:18, 21; 8:14; 16:20-24; Psalm 38:5; Ecclesiastes 10:1; Isaiah 50:2.
In the Authorized Version the word za·ʽamʹ is also translated just once as “abominable” at Micah 6:10, but the Revised Standard Version here has “accursed.” It literally means “to foam” and is used in Hebrew to mean “to be angry, indignant; to curse.” In other texts the Authorized Version translates it with “abhor,” “abhorred,” “be angry with,” “curse,” and “indignation.” In the New World Translation za·ʽamʹ is uniformly translated with the words “denounce,” “denounced,” and “denunciation(s).”—Num. 23:7, 8; Ps. 7:11; Prov. 22:14; 24:24; 25:23; Isa. 66:14; Dan. 11:30; Zech. 1:12; Mal. 1:4.
Pig·gulʹ occurs only four times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is regularly translated in the Authorized Version as “abomination” or “abominable,” but it has the basic meaning of “impure,” “fetid,” or “foul.” At Leviticus 7:18 and 19:7 pig·gulʹ is used to describe the meat of a sacrificial offering that was left after three days from the time of its being offered. The Authorized Version says the Israelites were instructed by God to consider such flesh as an “abomination,” but An American Translation here uses the word “refuse,” and the New World Translation says “a foul thing.”—See also Isaiah 65:4 and Ezekiel 4:14.
The three related Hebrew words sha·qatsʹ, sheʹqets and shiq·qutsʹ, generally translated “abomination(s)” or “abominable” in the Authorized Version, basically refer to that which is “disgusting” and are considered under the heading DISGUSTING THING.
In the Greek Scriptures the word a·theʹmi·tos is translated “abominable” at 1 Peter 4:3 in the Authorized Version but is correctly rendered “lawless” in the Revised Standard Version and “illegal” in the New World Translation.—Compare its use at Acts 10:28.
The related words bde·lysʹso, bdeʹlyg·ma and bde·ly·ktosʹ come from a Greek word meaning “to stink,” and imply “disgust.” The word bdeʹlyg·ma is used in the expression “abomination [bdeʹlyg·ma] of desolation.” (Matt. 24:15, AV) This word is also dealt with under the heading DISGUSTING THING.
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Abomination of DesolationAid to Bible Understanding
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ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
See DISGUSTING THING.
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AbortionAid to Bible Understanding
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ABORTION
The expulsion of an embryo or fetus before it can live on its own. Common use often distinguishes between abortion and miscarriage, the former being defined as the deliberate and induced emptying of a pregnant uterus, the latter being considered as the accidental and unavoidable interruption of pregnancy. If deemed a “medical necessity,” the abortion is said to be “artificial”; if induced for purely selfish reasons, it is called “criminal abortion.” However, the distinction between abortion and miscarriage is not made in the Bible; there the terms are used in a broader and interchangeable sense.
Unavoidable abortion or miscarriage may be caused by accident, infectious disease, mental or physical stress and strain, or because of a general organic weakness on the part of the mother. The waters near Jericho were death dealing, causing miscarriages, until Jehovah’s prophet Elisha healed them.—2 Ki. 2:19-22.
Deliberately to induce abortion or miscarriage by artificial means, by the use of drugs or by medical operation, the sole purpose of which is to avoid the birth of an unwanted child, is an act of high crime in the sight of God. Life as a precious gift from God is sacred. Hence God’s law to Moses protected the life of an unborn baby against more than criminal abortion, for if in a fracas between men a pregnant woman suffered an accident fatal to the child, “then you must give soul for soul.” (Ex. 21:22-25) Dr. J. Glenn comments: “The viable embryo in the uterus is a human individual, and therefore destroying it, is a violation of the sixth commandment.”—The Bible and Modern Medicine, 1963, p. 176.
Properly viewed, the fruitage of the womb is a blessing of Jehovah. (Lev. 26:9; Ps. 127:3) Hence in promising to prosper Israel, God gave assurance of successful culmination of pregnancy and the bringing forth of children, saying: “Neither a woman suffering an abortion nor a barren woman will exist in your land.” (Ex. 23:26) As indicated in the prayer of the righteous, on the other hand, evidence of God’s disfavor to his enemies would be their having miscarrying wombs and their becoming like miscarriages that never see the sun.—Ps. 58:8; Hos. 9:14.
Job in his misery contemplated that it would have been better had he been an abortion, “a hidden miscarriage.” “Why from the womb did I not proceed to die?” this tormented man cried out. (Job 3:11-16) Solomon, too, reasoned that a prematurely expelled fetus is better off than the person who lives a long time but who never comes to enjoy life.—Eccl. 6:3.
Among animals such as cattle, horses, sheep and goats contagious abortion, a disease characterized by premature birth, may occur. Accidental abortion due to neglect or disease of domestic animals has also been known since the days of the patriarchs Jacob and Job.—Gen. 31:38; Job 21:10.
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AbrahamAid to Bible Understanding
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ABRAHAM
(Aʹbra·ham) [father of a multitude].
The name given by Jehovah to Abram (meaning father of exaltation) when he was ninety-nine years old, and when God was reaffirming His promise that Abraham’s offspring would become many.—Gen. 17:5.
FAMILY ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY
Abraham was the tenth generation from Noah through Shem and was born 352 years after the Deluge, in about 2018 B.C.E. Although listed first among the three sons of Terah, at Genesis 11:26, Abraham was not the firstborn. The Scriptures show that Terah was seventy years old when his first son was born, and that Abraham was born sixty years later when his father Terah was 130 years old. (Gen. 11:32; 12:4) Evidently Abraham is listed first among his father’s sons due to his outstanding faithfulness and prominence in the Scriptures, a practice that is followed in the case of several other outstanding Bible characters such as Shem and Isaac.—Gen. 5:32; 11:10; 1 Chron. 1:28.
Abraham was a native of the Chaldean city of Ur, a thriving metropolis located in the land of Shinar, near the present junction of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. It was about 150 miles (241.4 kilometers) SE of Nimrod’s onetime royal city of Babel or Babylon, so notorious for its unfinished tower of Babel. Now, some 170 years later in Abraham’s time, the city of Ur was still steeped in Babylonish idolatry and the worship of its patron moon-god Sin. (Josh. 24:2, 14, 15) Nevertheless, Abraham proved to be a man of faith in Jehovah God, even as his forefathers Shem and Noah; and, as a consequence, he earned the reputation “the father of all those having faith.” (Rom. 4:11) Since true faith is based on accurate knowledge, Abraham apparently received his understanding by personal association with Shem (their lives overlapped by 150 years). Abraham knew and used the name of Jehovah; to quote him: “Jehovah the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth,” “Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth.”—Gen. 14:22; 24:3.
While Abraham was still living in Ur, “before he took up residence in Haran,” Jehovah commanded him to move out to a strange land, leaving behind friends and relatives. (Acts 7:2-4; Gen. 15:7; Neh. 9:7) There in that country that He would show Abraham God said he would make out of him a great nation. At the time, Abraham was married to his half-sister Sarah, but they were childless and both were old. So it would take great faith to obey, but obey he did.
Terah, now around 200 years old and still the family’s patriarchal head, agreed to accompany Abraham and Sarah on this long journey, and it is for this reason that Terah as father is credited with making the move toward Canaan. (Gen. 11:31) It appears that fatherless Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was adopted by his childless uncle and aunt, and so accompanied them. Northwestward the caravan moved, over 600 miles (965 kilometers), until they reached Haran, which was an important junction on the E-W trade routes, located on the Belikh River, more than sixty-five miles (105 kilometers) above where it empties into the Euphrates. Here Abraham remained until the death of his father Terah.
SOJOURN IN CANAAN
Now seventy-five years old, Abraham began to move his household out of Haran to the land of Canaan,
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