אֲבִיהוּד
𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃
Avihud
H31 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'my father is majesty' or 'the father is glory.' The name functions as a theophoric construct, common in Hebrew personal names, expressing relationship to or possession of 'glory' or 'majesty.' In the biblical corpus, the word refers specifically to two individual Israelites from genealogical lists.
Semantic Range
personal name denoting paternal glory or majesty; used as the name of two Israelites in genealogical records; proper noun; construct phrase in names; see also related forms such as אֲבִיהוּאֵל (Abihuel)
Root / Etymology
Formed from the roots אָב (ʼāv, 'father') and הוֹד (hôd, 'majesty', 'splendor', 'glory'). The name is a compound, usually interpreted as a phrase indicating either relationship to a majestic father, or possibly as an epithet meaning 'the father (God) is majesty.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name אֲבִיהוּד occurs in post-exilic genealogical contexts (1 Chr 8:3 and Matt 1:13, the latter being a Greek transliteration in a later genealogical list). It is one of a class of personal names reflecting familial piety or aspiration through descriptive or theophoric elements. While English translations present this as 'Abihud,' this pronunciation and orthography follow much later conventions; in biblical texts, the name refers to individuals from Israelite genealogies, not to a broader ethnic or religious identity. The element 'hôd' (הוֹד) is not a divine name, but signifies majesty or splendor, distinguishing it from other names in which the second element is a deity's name. The translation 'father of renown' is a simplification; the actual sense is more likely 'my father is majesty' or 'the father is (a) glory.' In later Jewish and Christian tradition, the name comes to be rendered as 'Abihud,' and associated with Messianic genealogical lines—but these associations reflect postbiblical interpretive traditions, not the original meaning of the name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָב and הוֹד; father (i.e. possessor) of renown; Abihud, the name of two Israelites; Abihud.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אב, הוד (ʾ-b; h-w-d) — fatherhood, begetting; splendor, majesty, glory
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H31-01 |
וַ/אֲבִיהֽוּד | vaavihud | HC/Np |
and Abihud | Father-of-Majesty | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H31-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:3 | וַ/אֲבִיהֽוּד | vaavihud | HC/Np |
and Abihud | Father-of-Majesty |