The name Abishalom (Hebrew: ‘Ăbîyshâlôwm), meaning “father of peace,” appears in the King James Version of the Bible primarily in the context of the royal lineage of Judah. It is most likely a variant or a fuller form of the more common and prominent name Absalom, who was the rebellious son of King David.
The Royal Connection
The figure named Abishalom is explicitly mentioned as the father of Maachah (or Maacah), who became a prominent figure in the early monarchy of Judah:
- 1 Kings 15:2 (KJV): “Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.” (Referring to King Abijam/Abijah’s mother).
- 1 Kings 15:10 (KJV): “And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.” (Referring to King Asa’s mother, though in this context, “mother” is widely understood to mean “grandmother,” as Asa was Abijah’s son).
This Maachah, daughter of Abishalom, was the wife of King Rehoboam and the mother of King Abijah (also called Abijam).
The Link to Absalom
The identification of Abishalom with Absalom is supported by parallel accounts in the Book of Chronicles, which refer to Maachah’s father by the shorter name:
- 2 Chronicles 11:20 (KJV): “And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.”
- 2 Chronicles 11:21 (KJV): “And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)”
This clear link in the genealogy strongly suggests that Abishalom is the same person as Absalom, King David’s third son, who famously rebelled against his father (2 Samuel 13-18).
This is further supported by the etymology: the shorter name, Absalom (‘Ăbšālôm), is a contraction of the fuller name, Abishalom (‘Ăbîyshâlôwm), both of which share the same meaning: “father of peace.”
A Possible Granddaughter 👧
While the verses call her the “daughter” of Absalom/Abishalom, it’s possible that Maachah was actually his granddaughter. In 2 Samuel 14:27 (KJV), Absalom is recorded as having only one known daughter named Tamar:
“And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.”
Many scholars believe that this Tamar, the daughter of Absalom, married a man named Uriel of Gibeah and had a daughter named Maachah, who then married King Rehoboam. This would make Absalom/Abishalom Maachah’s grandfather (since the term “daughter” is sometimes used broadly in Hebrew to mean descendant or granddaughter). This interpretation helps harmonize the various biblical accounts.
In summary, Abishalom is most likely the same biblical figure as Absalom, the son of King David, who had a daughter named Tamar (who may have been the mother of Maachah), placing him directly in the royal ancestry of the kings of Judah.