EVERY WOMAN OF THE BIBLE

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Every Woman of the Bible

ABIGAIL ["father rejoices"]. Abigail was the name of the wise wife of a foolish rancher named Nabal, who lived around 1000 B.C. When Nabal insulted David, Abigail hurried to hear off David's planned attack on the rancher's homestead. Her courage and wisdom so impressed David that when Nabal died of a stroke a short time later, David married her. Abigail's story is featured in I Samuel 25. We're told in II Samuel 3;3 that she bore David a son named Chileab.

The "other Abigail" lived about the same time, and was David's sister. Perhaps the two women were friends. The "other Abigail" is mentioned in II Samuel 17:25 and I Chronicles 2:16,17. David's genera, Joab, killed her son, Amasa, an officer in David's army.

ABIHAIL ["father is strength"]. Closely related to King David, this Abihail was the daughter of one of David's brothers, Eliab. She married David's obscure son, Jerimoth. She is perhaps most notable as the mother of Mahalath, who married Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon. Although quite possibly an influential woman around 950 B.C., she is mentioned only in II Chronicles 11:18.

The only other woman with this name is found in a genealogy of Judah's descendants. According to I Chronicles 2:29 she was married to Abishur, of the line of Jerahmeel. Her date is uncertain.

ABIJAH ["my father is Yahweh"]. Two Bible women shared this name with six men, one of whom was the second king of Judah.

One feminine Abijah was the wife of Hezron, a descendant of Judah. Her name is found only in a genealogy found in I Chronicles 2:24. The other female Abijah was the mother of King Hezehiah, one of Judah's godly kings. She lived about 750 B.C. She is mentioned in II Chronicles 29:1, and also in II Kings 18:2, where she is called Abi.

ABISHAG ["my father was a wanderer"]. This attractive young Shunammite woman cared for David during his last days, around 970 B.C. Later she became a pawn in a power struggle between Solomon and his brother Adonijah. Adonijah's request for permission to marry Abishag was viewed as an effort to strengthen his claim to Isarael's throne and led directly to his execution for treason. Abishag is mentioned in I Kings 1:3, 15 and 2:17-22.

ABITAL ["father is the dew"]. She was one of David's wives around 1000 B.C. Nothing is known of her or her son by David, Shephatiah. See II Samuel 3:4 and I Chronicles 3:3

ACHSAH ["anklet"]. Her name is also rendered Achsa and Achsah. Her story is told in Joshua 15: 13-19 and Judges 1: 12-15. She is mentioned in a genealogy in I Chronicles 2:49. During the conquest of Canaan, about 1390 B.C., Achsah was offered by her father Caleb as a prize to whoever took Kirjath Sepher from Canaanites. Achsah boldly pressed the victor to ask her father for additional lands, and she herself asked for additional springs of water. her boldness and initiative paid off, and she won a rich inheritance for herself and her future children.

ADAH ["adorned"]. The two women of this name had very different roles in Scripture. In prehistory, Adah was one of Lamech's two wives whose story is told in Genesis 4:19-23. Adah is identified as the mother Jabal and Jubal, whose birth marked the transition of human civilization from a subsistrent level economy to an economy that supported the arts, music, and metallurgy. the second Adah lived about 1950 B.C. She was a Canaanite woman who married Esau, the oldest son of Isaac. Isaac was offended by Esau's choice of brides, which reflected Esau's insensitivity to spiritual issues. Adah is mentioned briefly in Genesis 36.

AHINOAM ["brother is delight"]. The two women who bore this name lived around 1000 B.C. According to I Samuel 14: 50 Ahinoam was the name of Saul's wife. As no other wife is mentioned, Ahinoam would have been the mother of Jonathan, who became David's closest friend. Another woman named Ahinoam was married to David and was the mother of his firstborn son, Amnon. She is mentioned in every list of David's family although we know nothing else about her See I Samuel 25:43; 27:3; 30:5 and II Samuel 3:2

AHLAI. The only woman with this name is listed in the genealogy of Jerahmeel, a descendant of Judah, in I Chronicles 2:31. As Hebrew genealogies characteristically skipped generations to mention the most significant individuals, we can't assign her a date. Yet the inclusion of Ahlai and several other women in the genealofy is significant.

ANNA ["grace"]. Anna is identified in the New Testament as a prophetess, who had dedicated herslef to serve God in the temple. When Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple to offer the sacrifices required after childbirth, Anna recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah. Due to the fact that the calculations establishing our calendar were faulty, the event involving Anna, reported in Luke 2:36-38, likely took place in 4 B.C.

APPHIA. Paul greeted this unknown woman by name in his letter to Philemon (v. 2), written about A.D. 60. Paul's frequent mention of women in his letters reminds us that the apostle valued Christian women and respected their contribution to the spread of the gospel.

ASENATH ["belonging to Neit"]. Asenath's name reflects the common practice in the ancient world of incorporating the names of deities in personal names. this Egyptian wife of Joseph (Gen. 41:45, 50: 46:20) who lived around 1875 B.C., was the mother of his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. We do not know whether Joseph influenced her to trust the living God. Yet each of her sons is counted with Jacob's sons as the founder of an Israelite tribe.

ATARAH ["crown"]. She is one of several unknown women listed in the genealogy of Jerameel, a descendant of Judah, in I Chronicles 2:26. We know nothing of her life, or the dates during which she lived.