Abinadab

Biblical Account

Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim

The Philistines sent back the ark of the covenant, which they had captured from Israel. The ark first came to Beth-shemesh, where a plague broke out. The men of Kiriath-jearim then took the ark and brought it "into the house of Abinadab in the hill." Abinadab's son Eleazar was sanctified, or set apart, to keep the ark (1 Samuel 7:1). Scripture states that after the ark came to Kiriath-jearim, "the time was long; for it was twenty years" (1 Samuel 7:2).

Later, David sought to bring the ark to Jerusalem. On that occasion Abinadab's sons Uzzah and Ahio set the ark on a new cart at Abinadab's house and drove it. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah put forth his hand and took hold of the ark, and he died on the spot (2 Samuel 6:3–7; 1 Chronicles 13:7–10). The ark was then taken for a time to the house of Obed-edom. Beyond this, Scripture records no words or deeds of Abinadab himself.

Others of the Same Name

• Second son of Jesse: An older brother of David. When Samuel was seeking the one to anoint, Abinadab was brought before him but was not chosen (1 Samuel 16:8). He was serving in the army of Saul at the time of the battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:13).
• Son of Saul: He was killed by the Philistines at the battle of Mount Gilboa, together with Jonathan and Malchi-shua (1 Samuel 31:2; 1 Chronicles 10:2).
• Ben-abinadab: The name means "son of Abinadab." He was an officer of Solomon and married Solomon's daughter Taphath (1 Kings 4:11). The text does not say which Abinadab was his father.

Significance in Scripture

Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim is associated with the interval during which the ark of the covenant was absent from the tabernacle. After its return from the Philistines, the ark remained in his house until David brought it to Jerusalem. His name is commonly interpreted to mean "my father is generous" (or "noble"). The New Testament does not mention any of the men named Abinadab.

Interpretation and Debated Points

• Was he a Levite? The text does not identify Abinadab's tribe. Some suggest that he may have been a Levite, noting that he set apart his son to keep the ark. Others argue that he was not a Levite, since Kiriath-jearim does not appear in the lists of Levitical cities. 1 Chronicles 15:13 points to the fact that the Levites did not carry the ark on the first attempt to move it as the problem.
• The meaning of "the hill": The Hebrew word gibeah, rendered "hill," can also serve as a place name. For this reason some translations render it as a proper name.
• The scope of the "twenty years": Interpreters differ on whether this period refers to the entire time the ark remained there or only to the time until Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah. Many hold that, when the length of Saul's reign is taken into account, the ark actually remained there longer.
• The relationship of Uzzah and Ahio: Because the Hebrew word for "son" can refer broadly to descendants, some commentaries regard the two men as Abinadab's grandsons.
• Comparison with Obed-edom: Scripture records that the house of Obed-edom was blessed during the three months the ark remained there (2 Samuel 6:11). No such statement is made concerning the house of Abinadab. Some sermons draw lessons from this difference, but the text neither directly compares the two households nor passes judgment on Abinadab.

In the Korean Church

Abinadab appears chiefly in sermons on 2 Samuel 6 or 1 Chronicles 13. In most cases he is mentioned as a background figure in sermons on David's transfer of the ark of the covenant and the death of Uzzah. Sermons or Sunday school lessons devoted specifically to Abinadab are uncommon.