Lexical Summary Abdiel: Abdiel Original Word: עַבְדִיאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Abdiel From ebed and 'el; servant of God; Abdiel, an Israelite -- Abdiel. Compare Abd'el. see HEBREW ebed see HEBREW 'el see HEBREW Abd'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom abad and el Definition "servant of God," a Gadite NASB Translation Abdiel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עַבְדִּיאֵל proper name, masculine (servant of El; on this and following compare Phoenician עבדאלם, Nabataean עבדאלהא, Sinaitic עבדאלהי, etc., Lzb332 Cook87; Sabean עבדלת = [עבדאלת] Hal168 DHMZMG xxxvii (1883), 16; see also GrayProp. N. 309, No. 53); — a Gadite 1 Chronicles 5:15; ᵐ5 Αβδεηλ, A ᵐ5L Αβδιηλ. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Abdiel appears once in the canonical Old Testament record: “Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family” (1 Chronicles 5:15). The single mention situates him within the tribal registers of Reuben during the post-exilic period when the Chronicler catalogues Israel’s ancestral lines. Tribal and Genealogical Setting 1 Chronicles 5 provides the genealogy of the Reubenites, Israel’s firstborn tribe (1 Chronicles 5:1). Although Reuben forfeited pre-eminence through sin (Genesis 35:22; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2), the Chronicler still records his descendants. Abdiel is presented as the father of Ahi and a descendant of Guni, one of the family heads among the Reubenites. His placement underscores the Chronicler’s purpose: to demonstrate that even diminished tribes retained identifiable leaders and a covenant place in God’s redemptive plan. Historical Context The Chronicler writes after the Babylonian exile, drawing on earlier sources to reassure a restored community of its continuity with pre-exilic Israel. Naming a comparatively unknown figure like Abdiel affirms that God preserves every lineage. The Reubenite settlements east of the Jordan (1 Chronicles 5:8-10) fell to Assyrian deportation (1 Chronicles 5:26), but their genealogies survived. Abdiel’s mention therefore testifies to divine faithfulness amid judgment and dispersion. Spiritual Lessons 1. God values hidden faithfulness. Abdiel’s obscurity in the biblical narrative does not diminish his recorded standing; the Lord remembers those unnoticed by history (Malachi 3:16). Ministry Application Pastoral care often involves believers who, like Abdiel, serve quietly. Churches should honor such members, encouraging them that their labor “in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Genealogical attention in Scripture legitimizes ministries that seem insignificant, reminding leaders to shepherd every member with equal diligence (1 Peter 5:2-3). Christological and Eschatological Reflections Genealogies culminate in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1; Luke 3). Though Abdiel belongs to Reuben, not Judah, his inclusion prefigures the gathering of all Israel under Messiah’s headship (Ezekiel 37:15-28). Revelation envisions representatives from every tribe sealed for redemption (Revelation 7:4-8), an echo of the Chronicler’s comprehensive registries. Thus Abdiel’s solitary mention anticipates the consummate record of the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27). Related Scriptures Genesis 49:3-4 – Reuben’s forfeiture of pre-eminence. 1 Chronicles 5:8-10 – Reubenite settlements and victories. 1 Chronicles 5:26 – Assyrian exile of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Malachi 3:16 – The Lord’s book of remembrance. Revelation 7:4-8 – Sealing of the tribes. Forms and Transliterations עַבְדִּיאֵ֣ל עבדיאל ‘aḇ·dî·’êl ‘aḇdî’êl avdiElLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 5:15 HEB: אֲחִי֙ בֶּן־ עַבְדִּיאֵ֣ל בֶּן־ גּוּנִ֔י NAS: the son of Abdiel, the son KJV: the son of Abdiel, the son INT: Ahi the son of Abdiel the son of Guni 1 Occurrence |
    |