The meaning of the original Hebrew at 1 Chronicles 8:8-11 is not entirely clear.

ABIUD

(A·biʹud) [probably from the Hebrew ʼAvi·hudhʹ, meaning “the father of renown” or “the father is majesty”].

The Greekized or Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Abihud. A descendant of Zerubbabel and an ancestor of Christ Jesus. (Matt. 1:13) The term “father” as used by Matthew may have the meaning of “forefather.” Some authorities suggest that he may be the same as “Joda” at Luke 3:26. However, it is not necessary to relate these persons as being the same individual, since the genealogical lines given by Matthew and Luke are only parallel, not identical, while those at 1 Chronicles are independent. Abiud’s son, Eliakim, is also included in the line of descent of the Messiah.—Matt. 1:13.

ABNER

(Abʹner) [father of lamp, enlightening].

The son of Ner, of the tribe of Benjamin. First Samuel 14:50, 51 evidently refers to Abner as the “uncle of Saul,” though this phrase in the Hebrew can properly be applied either to Abner or to Ner, his father. Josephus speaks of Abner as Saul’s cousin, and of their fathers, Ner and Kish, as brothers. (Antiquities of the Jews, Book VI, chap. VI, par. 6) However, the inspired history at 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39 seems to weigh heavily in favor of Kish as being the son of Ner and, hence, the brother of Abner. This would make Abner the uncle of Saul.—See also the chart under ABIEL.

Abner served as chief of the army for Saul and his fighting force sometimes assumed major proportions, upward of 200,000 men. (1 Sam. 15:4) On special occasions he sat next to the king at the banquet table. (1 Sam. 20:25) Though undoubtedly a powerful and valiant man, Abner did not feel himself a match for the towering Philistine Goliath, but stood by and witnessed young David’s matchless demonstration of courage in dispatching that formidable opponent. (1 Sam. 17:48-58) Later, when David was a fugitive in the wilderness of Ziph, Abner came in for chiding from David for having failed in properly guarding Saul’s person as his lord and “the anointed of Jehovah.”—1 Sam. 26:14-16.

Following Saul’s death in the crushing defeat administered by the Philistines, Abner withdrew across the Jordan to Mahanaim in Gilead, taking Saul’s son Ish-bosheth with him. Though David had been proclaimed king in Hebron by the tribe of Judah, Abner set up Ish-bosheth as a rival king in Mahanaim. Abner was clearly the power behind the throne and in time obtained the support of all the tribes except Judah on behalf of Ish-bosheth.—2 Sam. 2:8-10.

Eventually, the armies of the two opposing kings met in a test of strength at the pool of Gibeon in the territory of Beniamin, about a third of the way from Hebron to Mahanaim. After the two armies had sized each other up, Abner proposed a contest between a dozen young warriors from each side. The sides were so evenly matched that a mutual slaughter resulted, provoking a full-scale combat between the two armies. Abner’s forces lost eighteen men for every one of Joab’s soldiers and retreated toward the wilderness. (2 Sam. 2:12-17, 30, 31) Abner, pursued by Joab’s fleet-footed brother Asahel, urged him repeatedly to turn his attention elsewhere and avoid a deadly encounter with him. When Asahel kept refusing, Abner finally made a powerful backstroke and killed Asahel with the butt end of his spear, running him through the abdomen. (2 Sam. 2:18-23) At Abner’s appeal, Joab finally called a halt to the pursuit at sundown, and the two armies began marches back to their respective capitals. Their stamina can be seen from the fifty or more miles (80 or more kilometers) that Abner’s forces traveled, down into the basin of the Jordan, fording the river, then up the Jordan valley to the hills of Gilead, where they made their way to Mahanaim. After burying Asahel in Bethlehem (perhaps on the following day), Joab’s men had a night-long hike of over fifteen miles (24 kilometers) through the mountains to Hebron.—2 Sam. 2:29-32.

Abner supported Ish-bosheth’s declining regime but also strengthened his own position, perhaps with an eye on the kingship, since he was, after all, the brother of Saul’s father. When taken to task by Ish-bosheth for having relations with one of Saul’s concubines (an act allowable only to the dead king’s heir), Abner angrily announced the transfer of his support to David’s side. (2 Sam. 3:6-11) He made overtures to David, stressing his own position as virtual ruler of the rest of Israel outside Judah. Satisfying David’s requirement of the return of his wife Michal, Abner now privately approached the heads of the eleven tribes to build up their favor toward Jehovah’s appointed king, David. (2 Sam. 3:12-19) Thereafter he was warmly received by David at his capital in Hebron, and that same day set out to persuade all the tribes to make a covenant with David. But Joab, absent on a raid, returned, and, after denouncing Abner as a conniving spy, personally called him back and tricked Abner into a position where he could kill him.—2 Sam. 3:20-27.

With Abner’s death, any hoped-for support for Ish-bosheth collapsed and Ish-bosheth was soon assassinated by traitorous men. With this the rule of the house of Saul came to a complete end.—2 Sam. 4:1-3, 5-12.

Many years later, while nearing the time of his own death, David remembered Abner’s death (as well as Amasa’s) and charged Solomon with the responsibility of removing the stain of bloodguilt that Joab had brought on David’s house. (1 Ki. 2:1, 5, 6) Shortly thereafter, Abner’s slayer, Joab, was executed by Solomon’s order.—1 Ki. 2:31-34.

Only one son of Abner is listed, Jaasiel, who was a leader in the tribe of Benjamin during David’s reign. (1 Chron. 27:21) First Chronicles 26:28 also mentions Abner’s contributions toward the tabernacle from spoils won as chief of the army.

ABOMINATION

The words “abomination,” “abominable,” and “abominably” are used in the Authorized Version in translating eight Hebrew words and four Greek words. Later translations are usually more specific in rendering the original words, and this is helpful since the word “abomination” is rather broad in meaning and is drifting into disuse in everyday speech.

The words most frequently translated as “abomination” or “abominable” in the Authorized Version are ta·ʽavʹ and toh·ʽe·vahʹ. These are considered under the heading DETESTABLE THING.

The Hebrew word ba·ʼashʹ is translated once as “abomination” in the Authorized Version at 1 Samuel 13:4. It there describes the effect of Saul’s attack on the Philistines, and the Authorized Version says that the Israelites were “had in abomination with the Philistines.” Other translations use the words “odious” (RS), “bad odor” (AT), or “foul-smelling’’ (NW), and the marginal reading in the Authorized Version says “did stink.” This is more in harmony with the basic meaning of ba·ʼashʹ, which literally means “to stink,” though it is often used in a metaphorical sense, as in the above text, to indicate that one has become odious to another or others because of his actions.—Gen. 34:30; Ex. 5:21; 1 Sam. 27:12; 2 Sam. 10:6; 16:21; 1 Chron. 19:6; for its literal usage, see Exodus 7:18, 21; 8:14; 16:20-24; Psalm 38:5; Ecclesiastes 10:1; Isaiah 50:2.

In the Authorized Version the word za·ʽamʹ is also translated just once as “abominable” at Micah 6:10, but the Revised Standard Version here has “accursed.” It literally means “to foam” and is used in Hebrew to mean “to be angry, indignant; to curse.” In other texts the Authorized Version translates it with “abhor,” “abhorred,” “be angry with,” “curse,” and “indignation.” In the New World Translation za·ʽamʹ is uniformly translated with the words “denounce,” “denounced,” and “denunciation(s).”—Num. 23:7, 8;