The Hebrew word אֲבִיָּה (Abiyyah or Abijah), identified as Strong's H29, is a proper name that appears multiple times in the Bible and has significant theological significance.
Prolonged אֲבִיָּהוּ Abiyahu; from H1 and H3050; father (i.e., worshiper) of Jah; Abijah, the name of several Israelite men and two women.
Etymological meaning: The name אֲבִיָּה (Abijah) is a theophoric name composed of two elements:
אֲבִי (abi) = "my father" or "father of"
יָּה (Yah) = shortened form of the divine name יהוה (YHWH/Yahweh)
Therefore, the full name means "Yahweh is my father" or "Father of Yahweh" (in the sense that Yahweh has paternal attributes).
Biblical context: Abijah appears as the name of several important figures in the Bible:
King Abijah of Judah (son of Rehoboam, grandson of Solomon):
Ruled Judah from approximately 913-911 BC.
His reign is described in 1 Kings 15:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 13:1-22.
Chronicles recounts a powerful theological speech he gave before a battle against northern Israel.
Although he reigned only three years, he had a significant impact on the history of Judah.
Abijah, son of Samuel:
Mentioned in 1 Samuel 8:2 as one of Samuel's sons who were appointed judges.
Sadly, he and his brother "did not walk in the ways of their father," and their corruption was one of the reasons Israel asked for a king.
Abijah, son of Jeroboam I:
Mentioned in 1 Kings 14:1-18.
A young prince who fell ill and whose mother consulted the prophet Ahijah.
He died young, but was the only one of Jeroboam's house who would be "buried" honorably.
Other figures named Abijah:
A priest in David's time (1 Chronicles 24:10)
An ancestor of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5)
Several other minor figures bore this name
Theological Significance: The name Abijah, which means "Yahweh is my father," reflects an important theological concept in Judaism: the paternal relationship between God and his people. This concept is developed throughout Scripture and reaches its fullest expression in the New Testament with Jesus' teaching about God as "our Father."
The frequent use of this name in different periods of biblical history demonstrates the persistence and importance of this theological understanding of God as a father figure for the people of Israel.
