ABISHAG (ab' i-sh5g), (Heb. ab-ee-shag', father of error).
A beautiful young woman of Shunam, in the tribe of Issachar, who was chosen by the servants of David to be introduced into the royal harem, for the special purpose of ministering to him, and cherishing him in his old age. She became his wife; but the marriage was never consummated. Some time after the death of David. Adonijah. his eldest son, persuaded Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to entreat the king that Abishag might he given to him in marriage (B. C. about to13). But as rights and privileges peculiarly regal were associated with the control and possession of the harem of the deceased kings (2 Sam. xii :8), (see HAREM), Solomon detected in this application a fresh aspiration to the throne, which he visited with death (1 Kings i:1-4 ; :13-25). (Sec .Ar0xi JA11.) father of gifts), a nephew of David by his sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Asahel.
It is recorded that these three brothers devoted themselves zealously to the interests of their uncle during his wanderings. Though David had more reliance upon the talents of Joab, he ap pears to have given more of his private confidence to Abishai, who seems to have attached himself in a peculiar manner to his person, as we ever find him near, and ready for council or action, on crit ical occasions (2 Sam. ii:24; 1 Chron. xix:4)• Abishai, indeed, was rather a man of action than of council ; and although David must have been gratified by his devoted and uncompromising at tachment, he had more generally occasion to check the impulses of his ardent temperament than to follow his advice (2 Sam. iii :3o).
(1) Accompanied David. Abishai was one of the two persons whom David asked to accompany him to the camp of Saul; and he alone accepted the perilous distinction (I Sam. xxvi :5-9), B. C.
about 994. The desire he then expressed to smite the sleeping king, identifies him as the man who afterwards burned to rush upon Shimei and slay him for his abuse of David (2 Sam. xvi :9; xix: 2t). For when the king fled beyond the Jordan from Absalom, Abishai was again by his side; and he was entrusted with the command of one of the three divisions of the army which crushed that rebellion (2 Sam. xviii :2), B. C. 967. He was sent by David against Sheba (2 Sam. xx :6 to), B. C. about 1049.
(2) Rescue of David. Afterwards, in a war with the Philistines, David was in imminent peril of his life from a giant named Ishbi-benob; but was rescued by Abishai, who slew the giant (2 Sam. xx :t5-t7). Ile was also the chief of the three 'mighties' (2 Sam. xxiii :19 ; 1 Chron. xi :20), who, probably in the same war, performed the chivalrous exploit of breaking through the host of the Philistines to procure David a draught of water from the well of his native Bethlehem (2 Sam. xx.ii :14-17). Among the exploits of this hero it is mentioned that he withstood 30o men and slew them with his spear ; but the occasion of this adventure, and the time and manner of his death are equally unknown. In 2 Sam. viii :13, the victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt is ascribed to David but in 1 Chron. xviii: 12, to Abishai. It is hence probable that the vic tory was actually gained by Abishai (1 Kings xi : t6), but is ascribed to David as king and com mander in chief (comp. 2 Sam. x :14). (See DAVID. )