We may quickly pass over some people’s names because we only see one or two references to them in all scripture. Likely that’s true of four men named Abinidab (meaning “my father is willing”). Even though there are four references, their stories amount to a speck in the Bible. Yet if God intends for someone’s name to be included in the Bible, there is a reason. Perhaps it provides proof of a story or a timeline in history–or maybe God was just pleased to include them.
So who were these Abinidabs, when did they live, and what did they do?
Who Was the First Man Named Abinadab in the Bible?
Let’s start with the one who is only mentioned twice but appears in a very important story.
But first, the background story.
The narrative takes place in the Old Testament, starting with the story of young Samuel. He was the baby who had been given back to God by his grateful mother, Hannah, to serve in the temple all the days of his life. Meanwhile, as Samuel was growing up under the teaching of Eli the Priest, Eli’s two sons—also priests—were wicked men “who had no regard for the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:12).
A prophet was sent to Eli to tell him that his sons would die for their wickedness and that God would raise another priest (Samuel). “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground . . . The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. And Samuel’s word came to all of Israel.” (1 Samuel 3:19, 21-22.)
Immediately after we read of Samuel’s anointing, we learn that the elders of the Israelites went out to battle the Philistines. This wasn’t the first nor the last time the Israelites fought the Philistines (seven battles total), but it was one that they lost with significant casualties. As they discussed why they were deprived of victory, the elders surmised they lost because they didn’t have the ark of the covenant with them. With the ark, they would be invincible.
After all, the ark held the Ten Commandments–God’s law written by His own hand. God told them to carry it with them through the 40 years in the desert, where He would be present with it when speaking with Moses in the Tabernacle. It had been borne into the Promised Land as the Lord parted the Jordan River and carried in the battle of Jericho as they gained possession of the land, finally coming to rest at Shiloh.
In her article “6 Things You May Not Know About the Ark of the Covenant,” Bethany Verrett observes that “what made it special—what made it important—was the actual manifestation of God’s presence. The mercy seat served as an actual seat for the Lord in the Tabernacle, and eventually in Solomon’s temple. Here, the Lord’s Spirit indwelled and filled the space as a cloud.”
To the elders’ shame, they had forgotten—or didn’t believe—that the power didn’t lay in the ark itself but in God’s presence. So they sent for the ark housed in Shiloh in Ephraim. The Israelites went out again for battle; this time, the Philistines heard the Israelites were bringing “their god” with them.
The Philistines were terrified. They knew that “Israel’s gods” had struck down the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues. “Be strong Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews as they have been to you. Be a man and fight” (1 Samuel 4:9). They had no reason to fear because God handed the Israelites over to the Philistines, who killed 30,000 Israelites that day. They captured the ark of the covenant.
Why Did the Israelites Lose a Battle if They Had the Ark of the Covenant With Them?
God had promised Moses that He would be with the Israelites and bless them in numerous ways if they followed His laws. When they didn’t, God would remove His blessing. Such appeared to be the case in these two battles. As one Ligionier.org devotional explains, “The spiritual condition of Israel during the era of the judges was so bad, however, that they thought the mere presence of the ark would guarantee victory. But God’s gifts are not magical objects, and He does not bless the kind of flagrant disobedience that Israel was involved in at that point (1 Sam. 2:12–36). Thus, the Philistines defeated Israel, including killing Eli’s two wicked sons, and captured the ark (3:5-11).”
The Philistines brought the ark to a temple of one of their gods, Dagon, and placed it near its statue. The next two mornings, the Philistines found the statue broken, lying on its face before the ark. God would not be mocked, and in His anger, brought pain and panic to the Philistine town.
The Philistines quickly wanted to return the ark, and they thought that if they filled it with goods, the Israelites’ god would be pleased and favor them. They put it on a cart hitched with two cows and sent it on its way. The cows headed for Beth Shemesh, a Jewish village. The Levites of the town offered a sacrifice in praise of the ark’s return to them (1 Samuel 6:15). Any of those from Beth Shemesh who looked into the ark (70 in all) were put to death by the Lord. Not wanting to have any more accidental mistakes in Beth Shemesh, they sent messengers to the town of Kiriath Jearim, asking them to take it to their town, which they did.
They took it to the home of Abinadab “on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:1). The ark remained with Abinadab and Eleazar for 20 years while “all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord” (1 Samuel 7:2).
Do We Know Any More About this First Man Named Abinadab?
According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Abinadab was a Levite priest (who else should be entrusted with the ark?). It remained in his home for 20 years until King David came to retrieve it, dancing in front of it as the ark of the covenant was returned home to Jerusalem.
Who Are the Other Three Abinadabs mentioned in the Bible?
There are only three other mentions of a man named Abinadab from Samuel to Kings to Chronicles, and once named, more information needs to be provided.
Abinadab #2 was the brother of King David. He is mentioned when God tells the prophet Samuel to go to their father Jesse’s house to find the man who would replace Saul as king. Abinadab was the second oldest and not God’s choice (1 Samuel 16:8). He was one of the brothers who joined the fight against the Philistines when Goliath was their champion. But again, it was David who triumphed (1 Samuel 17:13).
Abinadab #3 was one of Saul’s sons who fought with him in a battle against the Philistines and was killed (1 Samuel 31).
Abinadab #4 is mentioned in 1 Kings 4:11, who was married to one of Solomon’s daughters.
What Can We Learn From These Men Named Abinadab?
From the first Abinadab, we can learn how God blesses obedience and respect. The ark of the covenant was to be revered and treated appropriately, or one could lose their life. Since Abinadab could house the ark for 20, one would assume that God saw him as a priest with integrity and a proper fear of the Lord.
We can’t know if the second Abinadab was jealous of not being chosen by Samuel, but he was loyal to his people and fought with the Israelites against the Philistines. We could say the same about the third Abinadab, assuming that he strove to help his father rout the enemy and ended up giving up his life in the attempt. From the fourth Abinadab, one can only guess that he was smart in choosing King Solomon as his father-in-law for the likely benefits that afforded him (and that’s in addition to loving his wife, which we can only hope he did in honor of God).
Photo Credit: Public domain (painting by Benjamin West) via Wikimedia Commons.
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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