ABINADAB

(A·binʹa·dab) [my father is noble, father of liberality].

1. An inhabitant of the city of Kiriath-jearim in the territory of Judah about eight miles northwest of Jerusalem, in whose home the ark of the covenant was kept for a time. When the sacred Ark was brought up from Beth-shemesh after its disastrous seven-month sojourn among the Philistines, it was deposited in the home of Abinadab, and his son Eleazar was sanctified to guard it. Here in this home the Ark remained for some seventy years, until David arranged to transfer it to Jerusalem. During the transfer another of Abinadab’s sons, Uzzah, dropped dead in his tracks when Jehovah’s anger blazed against him, due to touching the Ark in disregard of the command at Numbers 4:15.—1 Sam. 6:20–7:1; 2 Sam. 6:1-7; 1 Chron. 13:6-10.

2. The second son of Jesse, and one of David’s three older brothers who went to war with Saul against the Philistines.—1 Sam. 16:8; 17:13.

3. One of the sons of King Saul who was slain by the Philistines at Mount Gilboa.—1 Sam. 31:2; 1 Chron. 9:39.

4. The father of one of King Solomon’s twelve food-supply deputies. This deputized “son of Abinadab,” who is also called Ben-abinadab, married Solomon’s daughter Taphath, and was assigned to provide food for Solomon’s household one month out of the year from all the mountain ridge of Dor.—1 Ki. 4:7, 11.