Abihail

Biblical Record

Abihail is a Hebrew name commonly interpreted to mean "the father is strength (might)." The name was used for both men and women, and about five people bearing it appear in the Bible.

• Father of the Levite Zuriel: According to Numbers 3:35, Zuriel, chief of the Merarite families, was the son of Abihail. The Merarites camped on the north side of the tabernacle.
• Wife of Abishur: A woman mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:29. She is recorded as the wife of Abishur of the tribe of Judah and bore him Ahban and Molid.
• Abihail the Gadite: A man mentioned in 1 Chronicles 5:14 as the son of Huri. His name appears in the genealogy of the Gadites who lived in the region of Bashan.
• Daughter of Eliab: A woman mentioned in 2 Chronicles 11:18. She was the daughter of Eliab, son of Jesse and elder brother of David. The New Korean Revised Version renders this verse to say that "Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David" was born of Abihail. Mahalath became the wife of Rehoboam.
• Father of Esther: He appears in Esther 2:15 and 9:29. Esther 2:15 identifies him as the uncle of Mordecai. Esther 2:7 records that after Esther's parents died, Mordecai raised her as his own daughter. Nothing is recorded about Abihail's own life or deeds.

Significance within the Bible

The name Abihail appears mostly in genealogies or in statements of lineage. In the Book of Esther, the phrase "the daughter of Abihail" indicates that Esther, who became queen, came from a Jewish family. The same expression is used in the letter establishing Purim (Esther 9:29). The record in 2 Chronicles shows that two branches of David's family were joined in the royal house of Rehoboam. No Abihail is mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• Differences in translating 2 Chronicles 11:18: Interpretations diverge depending on how the Hebrew sentence is read. The New Korean Revised Version and many modern translations read Abihail as the mother of Mahalath. Other translations, such as the King James Version, present Abihail as another wife of Rehoboam. Some interpreters, citing the span of time involved, also take "daughter" here in the broader sense of a descendant of Eliab.
• The relationship between Mordecai and Esther: Mordecai is often introduced as Esther's "uncle." The text, however, states that Abihail was Mordecai's uncle (Esther 2:7, 2:15). Read as written, then, Mordecai and Esther were cousins.
• The text does not say what kind of man Esther's father was, nor when or how he died.

In the Korean Church

Abihail is rarely treated as a sermon topic in its own right. The name is known mainly through passing mention when Esther's background is introduced, whether in expository preaching on the Book of Esther or in Sunday school lessons on the story of Esther.