of Ahijah concerning the welfare of his sick son. The prophet, now old and blind, foretold that the boy would soon die and that Jehovah would “make a clean sweep behind the house of Jeroboam, just as one clears away the dung.” (1 Ki. 14:2-18; 15:29) “The prophecy of Ahijah,” one of the written records including Solomon’s affairs, survived to the time of Ezra’s compilation of Chronicles.—2 Chron. 9:29.

8. Father of Baasha, who conspired against Nadab and made himself king of Israel; of the tribe of Issachar.—1 Ki. 15:27, 33; 2 Ki. 9:9.

9. One of the forty-four heads of the people whose descendants, if not himself, joined in sealing Nehemiah’s “trustworthy arrangement” to walk in Jehovah’s laws.—Neh. 10:26; 9:38.

AHIKAM

(A·hiʹkam) [my brother has risen].

Son of Shaphan the royal secretary during Josiah’s reign. Ahikam was one of the five sent to the prophetess Huldah by Josiah to inquire concerning what they had read in the recently discovered Book of the Law. (2 Ki. 22:12, 14; 2 Chron. 34:20) Later he protected Jeremiah’s life when it was threatened. (Jer. 26:24) Ahikam’s son Gedaliah was governor of Judah after Jerusalem’s destruction in 607 B.C.E.—2 Ki. 25:22; Jer. 40:5.

AHILUD

(A·hiʹlud) [a brother is born].

Father of David’s royal recorder Jehoshaphat. (2 Sam. 8:16; 1 Chron. 18:15) Likely the father of Baana, a deputy of food supplies under Solomon.—1 Ki. 4:7, 12.

AHIMAAZ

(A·himʹa·az) [the brother is wrath].

1. Father of Saul’s wife Ahinoam.—1 Sam. 14:50.

2. Son of priest Zadok and father of Azariah. (1 Chron. 6:8, 9, 53) When Absalom rebelled against his father David and usurped the throne, young Ahimaaz served a vital role in communicating intelligence to David. When about to be caught on one occasion, he and his companion hid in a well, the mouth of which a woman camouflaged with grain. (2 Sam. 15:27, 36; 17:17-21) When Absalom was killed, a Cushite runner was picked to take the news to David. Ahimaaz kept insisting that he too be allowed to run. Permission granted, he overtook the first runner and, upon approaching the city, was recognized by his running style. “This is a good man and with good news he should come,” exclaimed David. It proved to be so; Ahimaaz reported good news and left the bad for the second courier to deliver. (2 Sam. 18:19-32) Whether Ahimaaz was ever high priest is not certain. Some suggest he may have died before his father, thereby allowing Ahimaaz’ son Azariah to succeed Zadok.—1 Ki. 4:2; 1 Chron. 6:8-10.

3. Husband of Solomon’s daughter Basemath, and one of the twelve deputies appointed to provide food for the king’s household one month out of the year from the territory of Naphtali. (1 Ki. 4:7, 15) Some suggest that he was the same individual as No. 2 above.

AHIMAN

(A·hiʹman) [my brother is a gift (?)].

Because the name appears to be compound, the meaning is obscure.

1. Son of the long-necked Anak, and brother of Sheshai and Talmai, all residents of Hebron when Canaan was spied out by the Israelites in 1512 B.C.E. (Num. 13:22, 28, 33) Many years later he and his brothers were driven out and put to death by Caleb and the conquering Israelites.—Josh. 14:10-15; 15:13, 14; Judg. 1:10.

2. A Levite and one of the trusted gatekeepers of Jerusalem after the return from Babylonish captivity.—1 Chron. 9:17, 18; Neh. 11:19.

AHIMELECH

(A·himʹe·lech) [brother of the king; my brother is king].

1. Son of Ahitub and great-grandson of Eli; high priest at the tabernacle located at Nob. Because of giving aid to David, not knowing he was a fugitive from Saul, Ahimelech, eighty-four other priests of Jehovah and the men, women and children of Nob were massacred by the Edomite Doeg at Saul’s command. Abiathar was the only son of Ahimelech to escape. (1 Sam. chaps. 21, 22) David, later composing Psalm 52, recounted Doeg’s heinous act. (Psalm 52, superscription) Jesus too recalled David’s experience with Ahimelech.—Matt. 12:3, 4; Mark 2:25, 26; Luke 6:3, 4; see AHIJAH No. 3.

2. Son of Abiathar and grandson of Ahimelech, whom Doeg killed.—1 Chron. 18:16; 24:3, 6, 31.

3. A Hittite who was invited but did not accompany David when he slipped into Saul’s camp at night.—1 Sam. 26:6, 7.

AHIMOTH

(A·hiʹmoth) [brother of death].

A Levite son of Elkanah of the family of Kohath.—1 Chron. 6:25.

AHINADAB

(A·hinʹa·dab) [brother of liberality or willingness].

One of the twelve deputies responsible to provide food for Solomon’s royal household on a monthly rotation basis. (1 Ki. 4:7, 14) Mahanaim, his assigned territory, was in southern Transjordan.

AHINOAM

(A·hinʹo·am) [my brother is delight, joy].

1. King Saul’s wife, daughter of Ahimaaz, and apparently the mother of Jonathan.—1 Sam. 14:49, 50.

2. The Jezreelite wife of David. (1 Sam. 25:43; 2 Sam. 2:2) She accompanied David in his exile to Philistia, was captured by Amalekite raiders at Ziklag, and was rescued unharmed. (1 Sam. 27:3; 30:5, 18) Later, in Hebron, she became the mother of David’s firstborn, Amnon.—2 Sam. 3:2; 1 Chron. 3:1.

AHIO

(A·hiʹo) [his brother, brotherly].

1. Apparently a son of Beriah and grandson of Elpaal, of the tribe of Benjamin.—1 Chron. 8:12-14.

2. A Benjamite, son of Jeiel by his wife Maacah.—1 Chron. 8:29, 31; 9:35-37.

3. Son of Abinadab of Kiriath-jearim. The ark of the covenant was being moved to Jerusalem on a new wagon; Ahio was walking ahead when his brother Uzzah was struck down for touching the Ark.—2 Sam. 6:3, 4; 1 Chron. 13:7-10.

AHIRA

(A·hiʹra) [brother of evil or misfortune].

The son of Enan and the chieftain of the tribe of Naphtali during the wilderness wandering. Following the other chieftains, he made the final contribution on behalf of his tribe at the inauguration of the altar.—Num. 1:15; 2:29; 7:1-3, 78; 10:27.

AHIRAM

(A·hiʹram) [brother of height; high].

A son of Benjamin and founder of a family. (Num. 26:38) Apparently the same as Ehi at Genesis 46:21 and Aharah at 1 Chronicles 8:1.

AHIRAMITES

(A·hiʹram·ites).

A family descended from Ahiram, a son of Benjamin.—Num. 26:38.

AHISAMACH

(A·hisʹa·mach) [my brother has supported, sustained].

Danite father of Oholiab, who was the skilled craftsman associated with Bezalel in constructing the tabernacle.—Ex. 31:2-6; 35:34; 38:23.

AHISHAHAR

(A·hishʹa·har) [brother of the dawn].

Last-named son of Bilhan and descendant of Benjamin.—1 Chron. 7:6, 10, 11.

AHISHAR

(A·hiʹshar) [my brother has sung or is a singer].

The princely steward in charge of Solomon’s palace household.—1 Ki. 4:2, 6.

AHITHOPHEL

(A·hithʹo·phel) [foolish brother; brother of folly].

A native of Giloh in the hills of Judah (2 Sam. 15:12), father of one of David’s mighty men named Eliam, and possibly the grandfather of Bath-sheba. (11:3; 23:34) As David’s personal adviser Ahithophel’s sagacious counsel was esteemed as if it were the direct word of Jehovah. (16:23) Later this