Abishai

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In the Old Testament Abishai was the eldest son of Zeruja , the sister of King David , and a warrior under his uncle David.

etymology

The Hebrew personal name "Abishai" is mainly used in the Masoretic text אֲבִישַׁי 'ǎvîšaj written, but the spelling also comesאֲבְשַׁי 'ǎvšaj before (in 2 Sam 10.10  EU , 1 Chr 2.16  EU , 19.11 EU . 15 EU ). Its meaning is not clearly clarified. It could be a nominal sentence name consisting of subject and predicate. Subject is the noun אֲב 'āv "father", which is also the theophore element , predicate the noun יֵשׁ ješ "presence". Hebrew, as found in personal names, preserves an older language level than Bible Hebrew. This is expressed in the fact that the -î- which is attached to the first noun is probably not an ending of the 1st person singular ("my father"), but a functionless connecting vowel and possibly a remnant of an old one Case ending. It could be translated “father exists”. The designation of God as Father is intended to express his relationship with people.

It could also be a verb sentence name consisting of subject and predicate. The subject is again the theophore element אָב av “father”, predicate is the action verb of the root שׁמע šm ' “hear”, whereby it is assumed that the name was shortened from * אֲבִישָׁמָע * ǎvîšāmā' or from * אֲבְשָׁמָע * ǎvšāmā ' . In this case the translation would be “Father heard”.

Finally, there could also be a short form of the name אַבְשָׁלוֹם 'avšālôm or אַבִישָׁלוֹם ' avîšālôm "Father is salvation / integrity".

The Septuagint gives the name as Αβεσσα Abessa , the Vulgate as Abisai .

Today, Avishai is the common name form.

Biblical narration

The name of his father is not mentioned, as mother Abishai is called Zeruja ( 2 Sam 16.9  EU ), his brothers are Joab and Asaël ( 2 Sam 2.18  EU ). His mother was the sister of King David ( 1 Chr 2,16  EU ).

Abishai accompanies David to Saul's camp , where they stole the king's spear ( 1 Sam 26.6  EU ). In the war against the Ammonites Joab subjects part of the army to him ( 2 Sam 10,10  EU ). In the fight against Absalom , David makes him commander in chief of the third part of the army ( 2 Sam 18.2  EU ). Furthermore, he ( 2 Sam 20.6  EU ) receives the order to pursue the rebels under Sheba. He is also mentioned in the list of David's heroes , according to which he saves David from the Philistine Ishbi from Nob and kills him. ( 2 Sam 21.17  EU ) He was the chief of the thirty heroes of David ( 2 Sam 23.18  EU ).

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