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אֲבִיהַיִל

𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤄𐤉𐤋

Avihayil

H32 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אב, חיל to be a father, to have strength, to have valor

Definition

Personal name meaning 'my father is might' or 'the father is strength.' Primarily used as a proper name for both males and females in biblical genealogies and narratives. The name expresses the idea of strength (חַיִל) attributed to or associated with one's father (אָב), indicating familial prestige or valiance.

Semantic Range

personal name, one whose father is mighty, one whose father is capable or noble, Abihail as the name of various male and female Israelites

Root / Etymology

From אָב ('av, 'father') and חַיִל (chayil, 'valor, strength, wealth, capability'). The name is a construct form: אֲבִי ('avi', 'my father of' or 'father of') + חַיִל ('might, strength'). The root for אָב is אב, meaning 'father, ancestor,' and for חַיִל is חיל, principally meaning 'strength, might, capability.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name אֲבִיהַיִל is borne by multiple figures in the Hebrew Bible: both male and female, reflecting the flexibility of personal names across genders in ancient Israelite culture. It appears in genealogical contexts such as the Levitical family (Num 3:35), in Persian period Judea (Neh 12:17), and notably as the name of Mordecai's ancestor and of Queen Esther’s father (Esth 2:15; 2 Chron 11:18). Standard English translations typically treat the name as an unaltered proper noun, but do not convey the meaning of the constituent elements. The association with 'might' (חַיִל) often carries implications of social standing, capability, or valor; in some contexts, חַיִל also encompasses wealth or noble character. The older translation tradition (e.g., 'Abihail') does not distinguish the gender or specific semantic nuance, and later Jewish and Christian usage sometimes views the name exclusively in a masculine form, despite its feminine attestations in biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (more correctly) אֲבִיחַיִל ; from אָב and חַיִל; father (i.e. possessor) of might; Abihail or Abichail, the name of three Israelites and two Israelitesses; Abihail.

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Root Family

אב, חיל (ʾ-b; ḥ-y-l) — fatherhood, strength, might, valor, capability

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H32-01 אֲבִיחָ֑יִל avichayil HNp of Abihail My Father is Might 4
H32-02 אֲבִיהָ֑יִל avihayil HNp Abihail My-Father-is-Strength 2

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H32-01 Numbers 3:35 אֲבִיחָ֑יִל avichayil HNp of Abihail My Father is Might
H32-01 Esther 2:15 אֲבִיחַ֣יִל avichayil HNp of Abihail My Father is Might
H32-01 Esther 9:29 אֲבִיחַ֛יִל avichayil HNp of Abihail My Father is Might
H32-02 1 Chronicles 2:29 אֲבִיהָ֑יִל avihayil HNp Abihail My-Father-is-Strength
H32-01 1 Chronicles 5:14 אֲבִיחַ֗יִל avichayil HNp Abihail My Father is Might
H32-02 2 Chronicles 11:18 אֲבִיהַ֕יִל avihayil HNp Abihail My-Father-is-Strength
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