The name Abijah (meaning “My father is Jehovah” or “Yahweh is father”) is borne by several individuals in the Scriptures. The most prominent are a King of Judah and a son of the first King of Israel.
1. Abijah, King of Judah (also called Abijam)
This Abijah was the second king of the Kingdom of Judah after the split of the united monarchy.
Lineage and Reign
- Father: Rehoboam, the son of Solomon.
- Reign: He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. The Book of Kings often refers to him as Abijam (1 Kings 15:1), while Chronicles uses Abijah.“And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.” (1 Kings 14:31, KJV, using the alternate name Abijam in the KJV text here)
Key Events
- Sinful King: The record in the Book of Kings portrays his reign negatively: “And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.” (1 Kings 15:3, KJV).
- Victorious Battle: The Book of Chronicles details a significant battle he won against Jeroboam, the king of Israel, despite being outnumbered two-to-one. Before the battle, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and gave a powerful speech, appealing to the covenant of God with David and the sanctity of the Temple worship in Jerusalem, contrasting it with Jeroboam’s idolatry.“And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour. … Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 13:3, 18, KJV)
2. Abijah, Son of Jeroboam I
This Abijah was the son of Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Prophecy of Death
He is mentioned in a tragic account where his father, Jeroboam, sent his wife in disguise to the prophet Ahijah to inquire about the sick boy’s recovery. The prophet, though blind, announced a severe judgment upon Jeroboam’s house due to his idolatry, but offered one measure of comfort regarding his son.
“And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.” (1 Kings 14:13, KJV)
The boy died immediately upon his mother’s return home, as the prophet had foretold, sparing him from the later violent end of Jeroboam’s lineage.
Other Notable Uses of the Name
The name Abijah (or its variant Abia) is also attached to other figures:
- Priestly Course: The eighth of the twenty-four divisions of priests established by David (1 Chronicles 24:10). This is the course to which Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, belonged: “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.” (Luke 1:5, KJV).
- Mother of King Hezekiah: The wife of King Ahaz and mother of the righteous King Hezekiah is also named Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1), sometimes shortened to Abi (2 Kings 18:2).