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H41 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֲבִינָדָב
ʾĂḇînāḏāḇ
Proper noun (personal name)
Abinadab

Definition

Several men in the OT; name means 'My father is noble / generous'

Full Definition

ʾĂḇînāḏāḇ (ab + nādāḇ, 'willing/noble') is the name of at least four men in the Old Testament: (1) A man of Kiriath-jearim in whose house the ark of the covenant rested for twenty years (1 Samuel 7:1; 2 Samuel 6:3); (2) A son of Jesse and brother of David (1 Samuel 16:8); (3) A son of Saul killed at Jezreel (1 Samuel 31:2); (4) A son of Solomon who administered one of his districts (1 Kings 4:11). The ark's residence in Abinadab's house is theologically significant — God's presence dwelling in an ordinary household.

Usage & Theological Significance

That the ark of the LORD — the supreme symbol of God's presence — rested in the household of Abinadab for two decades illustrates a recurring biblical theme: God chooses to dwell with the humble and ordinary. God's presence is not confined to temples or palaces. When David finally moved the ark to Jerusalem, the joy of that procession (2 Samuel 6) reflects Israel's longing for God's presence to be central to the nation's life. This foreshadows the New Covenant, in which God's Spirit dwells not in buildings but in human hearts (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Key Bible Verses

1 Samuel 7:1
So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They brought it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD.
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.
1 Samuel 16:8
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, 'The LORD has not chosen this one either.'
1 Samuel 31:2
The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst?

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