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AbrahamAid to Bible Understanding
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“Furthermore, Abraham again took a wife,” Keturah, and thereafter fathered six additional sons, so that from Abraham sprang not only the Israelites, Ishmaelites and Edomites, but also Medanites and Midianites, and so forth. (Gen. 25:1, 2; 1 Chron. 1:28, 32, 34) Thus it was that Jehovah’s prophetic utterance was fulfilled in Abraham: “A father of a crowd of nations I will make you.” (Gen. 17:5) Finally, at the good old age of 175, Abraham died, in 1843 B.C.E., and was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in the cave of Machpelah. (Gen. 25:7-10) Prior to his death Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his secondary wives and sent them away, so that Isaac would be the sole heir of “everything he had.”—Gen. 25:5, 6.
PATRIARCHAL HEAD AND PROPHET
Abraham was a very wealthy man with great flocks and herds and much silver and gold, and a very large household numbering many hundreds of servants. (Gen. 12:5, 16; 13:2, 6, 7; 17:23, 27; 20:14; 24:35) For this reason the kings of Canaan considered him a powerful “chieftain” and one with whom covenants of peace should be made. (Gen. 23:6; 14:13; 21:22, 23) Yet at no time did Abraham allow materialism to blind his vision of Jehovah and his promises, or cause him to become proud, high-minded or selfish.—Gen. 13:9; 14:21-23.
The first occurrence of the word “prophet” in the Hebrew Scriptures refers to Abraham, though others like Enoch lived before him. (Gen. 20:7; Jude 14) The first identified in the Scriptures as a “Hebrew” is Abraham. (Gen. 14:13) Abraham, like Abel, Enoch and Noah, was a man of faith. (Heb. 11:4-9) But the first occurrence of the expression “put faith in Jehovah” is in reference to Abraham (Gen. 15:6), in agreement with Romans 4:11: “[Abraham is] the father of all those having faith.”
Indeed, this man of unusual faith walked with God and was in constant communication with him by means of visions and dreams, even entertaining his angelic messengers. (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 15:1-8, 12-21; 18:1-15; 22:11, 12, 15-18) He was well acquainted with the name of God even though Jehovah had not at that time revealed the full significance of the greatest name in the universe. (Ex. 6:2, 3) Time after time Abraham built altars and offered up sacrifices in the name of and to the praise and glory of his God Jehovah.—Gen. 12:8; 13:4, 18; 21:33; 24:40; 48:15.
As patriarchal head, Abraham allowed no idolatry or ungodliness in his household, but constantly taught all his sons and servants to “keep Jehovah’s way to do righteousness and judgment.” (Gen. 18:19) Every male member of Abraham’s household was bound by Jehovah’s law to submit to circumcision. The Egyptian slave girl Hagar called on Jehovah’s name in prayer, and the household servant Eliezer of Damascus in a very heart-touching prayer to Jehovah demonstrated his own faith in Abraham’s God. Isaac too, in his early manhood, proved his faith and obedience to Jehovah by allowing himself to be bound hand and foot and placed atop the altar for sacrifice.—Gen. 17:10-14, 23-27; 16:13; 24:2-56.
HISTORICITY
Jesus and his disciples referred to Abraham more than seventy times in their conversations and writings. In his illustration of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus referred to Abraham in a symbolic sense. (Luke 16:19-31) When his opponents boasted that they were the offspring of Abraham, Jesus was quick to point out their hypocrisy, saying: “If you are Abraham’s children, do the works of Abraham.” (John 8:31-58; Matt. 3:9, 10) No, it is not fleshly descent that counts, but, rather, having the faith like that of Abraham that enables one to be declared righteous, so said the apostle Paul. (Rom. 9:6-8; 4:1-12) Paul also identified the true seed of Abraham as Christ, along with those who belong to Christ as “heirs with reference to a promise.” (Gal. 3:16, 29) He also speaks of Abraham’s kindness and hospitality to strangers, and in his long list in Hebrews chapter 11 of illustrious witnesses of Jehovah, Paul does not overlook Abraham. Paul it is that points out that Abraham’s two women, Sarah and Hagar, were actually making a symbolic drama illustrating Jehovah’s two covenants. (Gal. 4:22-31; Heb. 11:8) The Bible writer James adds that Abraham backed up his faith by righteous works and, therefore, was known as “Jehovah’s friend.”—Jas. 2:21-23.
Archaeological discoveries have also confirmed many matters related in the Biblical history of Abraham: The geographical locations of many places, the many customs of that period of time, such as the purchase of the field from the Hittites, the choice of Eliezer as heir, the treatment of Hagar, and so forth.
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AbramAid to Bible Understanding
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ABRAM
See ABRAHAM.
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AbronahAid to Bible Understanding
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ABRONAH
(A·broʹnah) [a passage, or a place opposite].
The site of one of the encampments of the Israelites on their wilderness trek from Egypt. (Num. 33:34, 35) It lay between Jotbathah and Ezion-geber and has been identified with the oasis ʽAin Defiyeh, which lies seven and a half miles (12.1 kilometers) N of Ezion-geber.
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AbsalomAid to Bible Understanding
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ABSALOM
(Abʹsa·lom) [father of peace].
The third of six sons born to David at Hebron. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur. (2 Sam. 3:3-5) Absalom fathered three sons and one daughter (2 Sam. 14:27), but It appears that his sons died at an early age, in view of the statement at 2 Samuel 18:18. He is evidently called Abishalom at 1 Kings 15:2, 10.—See 2 Chronicles 11:20, 21.
Physical beauty ran strong in Absalom’s family. He was nationally praised for his outstanding beauty; his luxuriant growth of hair, doubtless made heavier by the use of oil or ointments, weighed some 200 shekels (about 5 pounds or 2.3 kilograms) when annually cut. His sister Tamar was also beautiful and his daughter, named for her aunt, was “most beautiful in appearance.” (2 Sam. 14:25-27; 13:1) Rather than being of benefit, however, this beauty contributed to some ugly events that caused immense grief to Absalom’s father, David, as well as to others, and produced great turmoil for the nation.
MURDER OF AMNON
The beauty of Absalom’s sister Tamar caused his older half-brother Amnon to become infatuated with her. Pretending illness, Amnon contrived to have Tamar sent to his quarters to cook for him, and then forcibly violated her. Amnon’s erotic love turned to contemptuous hate and he had Tamar put out into the street. Ripping apart her striped gown that had distinguished her as a virgin daughter of the king, and with ashes on her head, Tamar was met by Absalom. He quickly sized up the situation and voiced immediate suspicion of Amnon, indicating a prior alertness to his half brother’s passionate desire. Absalom instructed his sister to raise no accusation, however, and took her into his home to reside.—2 Sam. 13:1-20.
According to John Kitto, Absalom’s taking charge of Tamar, rather than her father’s doing so, was in harmony with the Oriental custom, whereby, in a polygamous family, children of the same mother are the more closely knit together and the daughters “come under the special care and protection of their brother, who, . . . in all that affects their safety and honor, is more looked to than the father himself.” (Kitto’s Daily Bible Illustrations, Saul, David, p. 384) Much earlier, it was Levi and Simeon, two of Dinah’s full brothers, who took it upon themselves to avenge their sister’s dishonor.—Gen. 34:25.
Hearing of his daughter’s humiliation, David reacted with great anger but, perhaps due to the fact that no direct or formal accusation was made with the support of evidence or witnesses, took no judicial action against
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