Lexical Summary Abia: Abijah Original Word: Ἀβιά Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Abia. Of Hebrew origin ('Abiyah); Abijah, the name of two Israelites -- Abia. see HEBREW 'Abiyah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Hebrew origin Abiyyah Definition Abijah, Abia, the name of two Isr. NASB Translation Abijah (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 7: ἈβιάἈβιά, indeclinable proper name (Josephus, Antiquities 7, 10, 3; 8, 10, 1 ὁ Ἀβίας (Winer's Grammar, § 6, 1 m.), ), אֲבִיָה and אֲבִיָהוּ (my father is Jehovah), Abia (or Abijah, cf. B. D. 1. a king of Judah, son of Rehoboam: Matthew 1:7 (1 Kings 14:31; 1 Kings 15:1). 2. a priest, the head of a sacerdotal family, from whom, when David divided the priests into twenty-four classes (1 Chronicles 24:10), the class Abia, the eighth in order, took its name: Luke 1:5. Abia is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Abijah, confessing that “Yahweh is Father.” Scripture links the name to both royal and priestly lines, underscoring God’s covenant faithfulness to David’s throne and to the Temple service established through Aaron and David. Occurrences in the New Testament • Matthew 1:7 — listed twice in the royal genealogy that moves from Abraham to Jesus Christ. Old Testament Background 1. Abijah son of Rehoboam, king of Judah (1 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 13), who declared, “God Himself is with us as our head” (2 Chronicles 13:12). Place in the Messiah’s Genealogy Matthew’s Gospel traces Jesus’ legal descent through the kings of Judah. Abijah (rendered Abia) stands in the sequence between Rehoboam and Asa (Matthew 1:7), confirming that Christ inherits the legitimate Davidic throne. That the same name appears twice in the verse reflects the textual practice of the era rather than duplication in the historical line: one instance represents the transitional note between generations; the other, the proper individual in the list. The genealogy therefore bridges the covenant promises of 2 Samuel 7 with their fulfillment in Jesus. The Division of Abijah Luke begins the narrative of the Forerunner with a priest “of the division of Abijah” (Luke 1:5). David had organized twenty-four orders of priests, each serving one week at a time in the Temple (1 Chronicles 24). After the exile these divisions continued (Ezra 2:36–39), and by the first century the cycle still dictated service schedules. Zechariah’s appearance at the altar, where he received the promise of a son, occurred during the eighth weekly rotation. Thus the name Abijah not only anchors John the Baptist’s family in authentic Aaronic succession but also confirms the historical reliability of Luke’s narrative, linking the Old Testament priesthood to the dawning New Covenant. Theological Significance 1. Continuity of Covenant: The presence of Abijah in both kingly and priestly records demonstrates that God maintains parallel lines—royal and sacerdotal—until they converge in Jesus Christ, the King-Priest (Hebrews 7:14–17). Lessons for Ministry and Faith • Heritage is a stewardship: whether monarchs (Abijah son of Rehoboam) or obscure priests (Zechariah), individuals are called to serve faithfully in the place God assigns. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 1:7 NGRK: ἐγέννησεν τὸν Ἀβιά Ἀβιὰ δὲ NAS: the father of Abijah, and Abijah KJV: Roboam begat Abia; and Abia INT: was father of Abijah Abijah moreover Matthew 1:7 N Luke 1:5 N |
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