Abijah

Abijah is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, commonly interpreted as meaning “Yahweh is my father” or “my father is Yahweh.” The name appears in the Hebrew Bible and has been used in later Jewish and Christian traditions.

In the Hebrew Bible, Abijah identifies several figures:

- Abijah, king of Judah (also called Abijam in some translations). He was the son of Rehoboam and ruled Judah for three years. According to 2 Chronicles 13, he confronted Jeroboam’s forces at Mount Zemaraim and, with divine aid, achieved a notable victory. He was the father of Asa and was succeeded by him.

- Abijah, son of Samuel. In 1 Samuel 8:2–3, Samuel’s two sons are named Joel and Abijah (Abiah in some versions); they served as judges but did not follow their father’s example, and the people did not appoint them as rulers.

- Abijah as a priestly division. In Luke 1, Zechariah belongs to the division of Abijah (Abia), one of the 24 priestly courses established to serve in the Temple. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, is described as being from the line of Aaron, linking the narrative to the priestly orders.

Beyond these biblical instances, Abijah has appeared as a personal name in later periods and in Christian traditions, with various spellings such as Abijam or Abiah.

See also:

- Abijam, alternate spelling for the Judahite king

- Abijah in religious and historical contexts, including priestly divisions in Luke 1