Abinoam אֲבִינֹ֫עַם
Father of Barak, the Israelite commander
Who is Abinoam in the Bible?
Abinoam was the father of Barak, an Israelite military commander who led forces against the Canaanite oppressors during the time of the judges (Judges 4:6). When the prophetess Deborah summoned Barak to gather ten thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulun to fight against Sisera, the commander of King Jabin's army, Barak agreed on the condition that Deborah accompany him (Judges 4:6-9). Together they achieved a decisive victory over Sisera's forces, though Deborah prophesied that the honor of the triumph would belong to a woman, which was fulfilled when Jael killed Sisera (Judges 4:12-24). Though Abinoam himself appears only as Barak's father in the biblical record, he is remembered as the parent of one of Israel's deliverers during a period of foreign domination (Judges 5:1, 5:12).
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 summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun."
- Judges 4:12
"When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up Mount Tabor,"
- Judges 5:1
"On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:"
- Judges 5:12
"‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אֲבִינֹ֫עַם |