Abdi עַבְדִּי
A Levite, ancestor of Ethan the musician
Who is Abdi in the Bible?
Abdi was a Levite mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:44 as an ancestor of Ethan, one of the most prominent musicians appointed by King David to serve in the temple. Ethan, along with Heman and Asaph, held a leadership role in the temple's musical worship during David's reign (1 Chronicles 15:19). Abdi belonged to the lineage of Merari, one of the three major Levitical clans responsible for the care and maintenance of the tabernacle and temple. Though Abdi himself receives minimal direct attention in Scripture, his significance lies in his place within the genealogical line that produced Ethan, one of David's chief musicians and a figure whose psalms and influence shaped Israel's worship tradition.
Biography
Abdi is mentioned in 1Ch.6.44 as a Levite and an ancestor of Ethan, one of the musicians appointed by King David to serve in the temple. Ethan, along with Heman and Asaph, was a leading musician and singer during David's reign (1Ch.15.19). Abdi is listed in the genealogy of the Levites, specifically within the lineage of Merari, one of the three main Levitical clans.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 6:44
"On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | עַבְדִּי |
Abdi
1Chr.15.17">1Ch 15:17). This makes Abdi a contemporary of Saul the king.
(2) A Levite, father of the Kish who was in service at the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah (2Ch 29:12). Some mistakenly identify this Abdi with the former.
(3) A man who in Ezra's time had married a foreign wife (Ezr 10:26). Not a Levite, but "of the sons of Elam."
ab-di'-as (2 Esdras 1:39 = Obadiah): One of the Minor Prophets. Mentioned with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Minor Prophets who shall be given as leaders to the "nation from the east" which is to overthrow Israel (comp