The name Aiah (‘Ayâh), which means “falcon” or “vulture,” belongs to two distinct individuals in the Bible, one a non-Israelite and the other an Israelite figure whose daughter became famous for an act of profound maternal devotion.
1. Aiah the Horite (Ancestor of Edom)
The first mention of Aiah is in the genealogies tracing the descendants of Esau (Edom), where he is a non-Israelite figure from the land of Seir.
- Lineage: Aiah was the son of Zibeon and the brother of Anah, one of the Horite chieftains who inhabited the land of Seir before the Edomites took possession.
- Scripture (KJV):“And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.” — Genesis 36:24 (KJV) (Note: The KJV uses the variant spelling Ajah in this passage.)
- Context: This genealogical record, also repeated in 1 Chronicles 1:40, serves to establish the lineage of the people who were contemporary with the early Israelites and their connection to Esau, the twin brother of Jacob.
2. Aiah, Father of Rizpah (Saul’s Concubine)
The second and more historically significant Aiah is known primarily as the father of Rizpah, a concubine of King Saul.
- Daughter’s Role: His daughter, Rizpah, is noted in two important episodes in the narratives of the transition of power from Saul to David:
- She is the subject of a fatal political accusation when Ish-bosheth accused Abner of having relations with her, which would have been a claim on Saul’s throne (2 Samuel 3:7).
- Her loyalty and maternal devotion were put on public display after her two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth, were executed by King David as retribution for Saul’s breaking of a covenant with the Gibeonites.
- Scripture (KJV):“And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?” — 2 Samuel 3:7 (KJV)”And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.” — 2 Samuel 21:10 (KJV)
- The Mother’s Vigil: Though Aiah himself is only named as the father, the actions of his daughter Rizpah are a powerful testimony to enduring maternal love. She kept a solitary, mournful vigil over the executed bodies of her sons for months, preventing wild animals and birds from desecrating them. When King David heard of this powerful demonstration of love, he was moved to perform a proper burial for all the remains of Saul’s family, thus ending the famine that had afflicted the land (2 Samuel 21:11-14).
Prophetic Hotspot: A Mother’s Love and Heavenly Rain
The narrative of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, is a “Prophetic Hotspot” illustrating the power of faithful, sustained mourning and intercession. Rizpah’s vigil on the rock lasted until the Lord “dropped upon them out of heaven”—until the drought-breaking rain came. This act connected true repentance and intercession (symbolized by her sackcloth vigil) with divine response (the sending of rain and the removal of the national curse).
The Return Question: The Power of Watchfulness
Question for Discussion: Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, stood watch over the bodies of the dead for a great length of time, waiting for a sign from God (the rain) that the national curse had been lifted. As believers who are looking forward to The Lord’s Return, which the Bible commands us to watch for, what does Rizpah’s vigil teach us about the kind of endurance, solemnity, and patient watchfulness that should characterize the Church in the last days?