Abinadab אֲבִינָדָב
Kept the ark of God in his house
Who is Abinadab in the Bible?
Abinadab was a man from Kiriath-jearim who became the keeper of the ark of God for twenty years after the Philistines returned it to Israel (1 Samuel 7:1). Following the ark's capture and subsequent return by the Philistines, it was brought to Abinadab's house, where it remained until King David decided to transport it to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:3). When David and the Israelites came to retrieve the ark, they placed it on a new cart driven by Abinadab's sons, Uzzah and Ahio (1 Chronicles 13:7). Abinadab's household served as a crucial sanctuary for the ark during a transitional period in Israel's religious history, and his sons' involvement in its transport became significant in the narrative of David's attempt to bring the ark to the capital.
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
"Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD."
2 Samuel 2 verses
- 2 Samuel 6:3
"They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart,"
- 2 Samuel 6:4
"bringing with it the ark of God. And Ahio was walking in front of the ark."
1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 13:7
"So they carried the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding the cart."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲבִינָדָב |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | אֲבִינָדָב |