AMINADAB [more correctly AMMINADAB] (n7nt:1), famidus princifis ; Sept. 'Apuvad13). 1.
One of the ancestors of David and of Christ (Matt. 4)- He was the son of Aram, and the father of Naasson, and of Elisheba, who became the wife of Aaron (Exod. vi. 23).
[2. A person summoned by David to aid in bringing the ark to its place (i Chron. xv. r1-12). He was the chief of the sons of Uzziel of the family of the Kohathites (ver. ro).
3. In I Chron. vi. 22 (7), the son of Kohath is called Amminadab, whilst elsewhere he is called Izhar. These may have been two names cif the same man, but more probably, as Amminadab (1) was the father-in-law of Aaron, the grandson or Kohath, and the nephew of Izhar, the transcriber, in casting his eye over the lists may have con founded the two.] 4. In Cant. vi. 12. The chariots of this Ammi nadab are mentioned as proverbial for their swift ness. Of himself we know nothing more than what is here glanced at, from which he appears to have been, like Jehu, one of the most celebrated charioteers of his day. In many MSS. the Hebrew term is divided into two words Ammi nadib ; in which case, instead of the name of a person, it means of my willing,' or 'loyal people.' This division has been followed in the Syriac, by the Jews in the Spanish version, and by many modern translators ; but, taken in this way, it is difficult to assign any satisfactory meaning to the passage. See Good's Song of Songs, note on vi. 12. [Heiligstedt (ap. Maurer, Comment. Crit. in loc.) renders thus : Nescivi, anima "Ilea posuit me inter currus populi mei nobilis :' and thus ex plains it, 'inopinato translatam me sensi inter currus popularium meorum AMIR (n)pt- ; Sept. ir' depot, perethpou in Is.
xvii. 6, and oi 'ApeilAaioL in ver. 9 ; Vulg. tate rand; Auth. Vcrs. 'uppermost bough '). The word occurs only. in Is. xvii. 6, 9. It has been usual to derive it from the Arabic, and to take its signification from which means a genera], or Emir, and hence, in the present text, the higher or upper branches of a tree. Gesenius admits that this interpretation is unsatisfactory; and Lee, who regards it as very fanciful, endea vours (Lex. in vote) to establish that it denotes the caul or sheath in which the fruit of the date-palm is enveloped. According to this view he translates the verse thus : Two or three berries in the head (or upper part) of the caul (or pod, properly sheath), four or five in its fissures.' On this he remarks : `9TID signifies any fissure, and is also applied to those of rocks. If, therefore, the word sig nifies this caul or pod, the word no, in the fol lowing context, applies well to its opening, but is quite unintelligible in any other sense.' This is at least ingenious ; and if it be admitted as a sound interpretation of a passage confessedly difficult, this text is to be regarded as affording the only scriptural allusion to the fact that the fruit of the date-palm is, during its growth, contained in a sheath, which rends as the fruit ripens, and at first partially, and afterwards more fully, exposes its precious contents. [TAmart.]