ABISHAG (n;h:ti, father of error; Sept.
'Apard-r), 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 Iffin, and cherishing him in his old age. She be came his wife ; but the marriage was never con summated. Some time after the death of David, Adonijah, his eldest son, persuaded Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to entreat the king that Abishag might be given to him in marriage. But as rights and privileges peculiarly regal were asso ciated with the control and possession of the harem of the deceased kings, Solomon detected in this application a fresh aspiration to the throne, which he visited with death (r Kings i. 1-4; ii. 13 25). [ADo.Numi.]—J. K.
'Ageorrci and 'Agto-dt), a nephew of David by his half-sister Zeruiah, and brother of Joab and Asahel. The 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 appears 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 critical occasions. 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). 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). 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).
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. xxi. 15-17). He was also the chief of the three 'nighties,' 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. xxiii. 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 Chron. xviii. 12, to Abishai. It is hence probable that the victory was actually gained by Abishai, but is ascribed to David as king and commander in-chief.—J. K.
ABISHALOM the father of Maachah, who was the wife of Rehoboam, and the mother of Abijam his successor on the throne of Judah (1 Kings xiv. 3 x ; xv. 2, io). That this name is only a fuller form of Absalom (d1 it is evident from the latter being assigned by the Chronicler to the father of Maachah (2 Chron. xi. 20, 21). The party referred to was doubtless Absalom the son of David. To 2 Sam. xiv. 27, there is a clause added by the LXX. to the effect that Thamar the daughter of Absalom was the wife of Rehoboam and the mother of Abijah. This is obviously wrong, but the statement may be com pared with that of Josephus, that Maacah was the daughter of Thamar (Antiq. viii. 10, According to this, Maacah was the grand-daughter of Absalom. [ABIJAH ; MAACHAH. ]—W. L.A.