ABISHUA

(Ab·i·shuʹa) [father of safety or welfare].

1. A Benjamite of the family of Bela. (1 Chron. 8:1-4) Though he appears to be a son of Bela, the variance between the accounts at Numbers 26:40, 1 Chronicles 7:7, and 1 Chronicles 8:1-4 cause some to believe the word “sons” may mean, rather, “descendants.”

2. The son of Phinehas and a great-grandson of Aaron. He was the father of Bukki. (1 Chron. 6:4, 5, 50, 51) At Ezra 7:1-5 he is shown to have been one of Ezra’s forefathers. Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews, Book V, chap. XI, par. 5; Book VIII, chap. I, par. 3) refers to Abishua (called Abiezer in Book V) as the high priest, which, if accepted, would make him the fourth high priest of Israel. This would harmonize with Jehovah’s promise made to Abishua’s father, Phinehas, that the priesthood would remain in his family.—Num. 25:11-13.