אֲבִינָדָב
𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤃𐤁
Avinadav
H41 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'my father is noble' or 'my father is generous.' Used for multiple individuals in the Hebrew Bible, predominantly Israelite men, including a son of Jesse (father of David), a Levitical custodian of the ark, and others. The name expresses an attribute or quality (nobility, generosity) ascribed to the father, likely reflecting familial or aspirational values rather than denoting literal parentage.
Semantic Range
personal name, 'my father is noble,' 'my father is generous,' familial relationship, attributed quality
Root / Etymology
The name is formed from two elements: אָב ('av, 'father') and נָדָב (nadav, 'generous,' 'noble,' or 'willing'). The construction is a noun phrase with a possessive suffix, meaning 'my father is noble/generous.' Both elements are common in personal names. Root: אב ('av) means 'father'; נדב (nadav) means 'to be willing, generous, noble.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אֲבִינָדָב appears in various narratives: 1) a son of Jesse, brother of David (1 Sam 16:8; 17:13); 2) a resident of Kiriath-jearim, whose house held the ark (1 Sam 7:1-2); 3) a son of Saul (1 Sam 31:2); and 4) a Levite (1 Chr 15:10-11). The use as a personal name reflects the broader ancient Israelite practice of forming theophoric and descriptive names. While later versions (e.g., LXX/Greek OT, Vulgate) have simply transliterated the name, English translations sometimes treat it as a proper name without interpreting the underlying phrase. The name is never used for a non-Israelite individual and appears primarily in monarchic period texts. Its structure and meaning are consistent with other Israelite names that combine כִּי ('my') or possessive suffixes with a divine or positive attribute.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָב and נָדַב; father of generosity (i.e. liberal); Abinadab, the name of four Israelites; Abinadab.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אב; נדב (ʾ-b; n-d-b) — father; willing, generous, noble
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1125 | בֶּן־אֲבִינָדָב | My Father Is Noble |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H41-01 |
אֲבִינָדָ֖ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble | 11 |
H41-02 |
וַ/אֲבִינָדָב֙ | vaavinadav | HC/Np |
and Abinadab | and My-Father-is-Noble | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H41-01 |
1 Samuel 7:1 | אֲבִינָדָ֖ב | avinadav | HNp |
of Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
1 Samuel 16:8 | אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
1 Samuel 17:13 | אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
1 Samuel 31:2 | אֲבִינָדָ֛ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
2 Samuel 6:3 | אֲבִינָדָ֖ב | avinadav | HNp |
of Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
2 Samuel 6:3 | אֲבִ֣ינָדָ֔ב | avinadav-2 | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
2 Samuel 6:4 | אֲבִֽינָדָב֙ | avinadav | HNp |
of Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-02 |
1 Chronicles 2:13 | וַ/אֲבִינָדָב֙ | vaavinadav | HC/Np |
and Abinadab | and My-Father-is-Noble |
H41-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:33 | אֲבִֽינָדָ֖ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |
H41-01 |
1 Chronicles 9:39 | אֲבִינָדָ֖ב | avinadav | HNp |
Abinadab | My Father is Noble |