אֲבִיָּם
𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤌
Aviyam
H38 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'my father is Yam' or 'my father is the sea.' It refers specifically in the Hebrew Bible to a monarch of the southern kingdom (king of Judah), but the compound structure is also attested as a theophoric personal name. The semantic range includes literal possible meanings ('father of the sea', 'my father is Yam'), but in proper name usage most likely signals a theophoric or symbolic element rather than indicating actual parentage or vocation.
Semantic Range
a personal name; my father is Yam; father of the sea; king of Judah; variant form of Abijah
Root / Etymology
Compound of אָב (av, 'father') + יָם (yam, 'sea'), yielding the meaning 'my father is Yam' or possibly 'father of the sea.' While אָב is a common word for 'father,' יָם refers to the sea and can also denote the Canaanite sea deity Yam. The formation of names through the combination of these elements is typical of West Semitic theophoric naming patterns.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אֲבִיָּם refers uniquely to a king of Judah (1 Kings 14:31, 15:1–8), but in Chronicles the same individual is called אֲבִיָּה (Abijah). The difference between אֲבִיָּם and אֲבִיָּה (with -Yâh, a theophoric element referencing YHWH) has led to scholarly suggestions of intentional scribal alteration—possibly to avoid implication of the sea god Yam in a royal Israelite name. Elsewhere in the ancient Near East, personal names referencing Yam are known but rare in Israelite contexts, reflecting possible cultural reticence. The standard English translation 'Abijam' follows the vocalization of Kings, while 'Abijah' is used in Chronicles and English tradition, sometimes conflating the two. Usage is thus almost fully restricted to this figure, but the construction pattern is common in Semitic onomastics.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָב and יָם; father of (the) sea (i.e. seaman); Abijam (or Abijah), a king of Judah; Abijam.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אב, ים (ʾ-b; y-m) — fatherhood, progenitor; sea, large body of water
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H38-01 |
אֲבִיָּ֥ם | aviyam | HNp |
Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H38-01 |
1 Kings 14:31 | אֲבִיָּ֥ם | aviyam | HNp |
Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam |
H38-01 |
1 Kings 15:1 | אֲבִיָּ֖ם | aviyam | HNp |
Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam |
H38-01 |
1 Kings 15:7 | אֲבִיָּם֙ | aviyam | HNp |
of Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam |
H38-01 |
1 Kings 15:7 | אֲבִיָּ֖ם | aviyam-2 | HNp |
Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam |
H38-01 |
1 Kings 15:8 | אֲבִיָּם֙ | aviyam | HNp |
Abijam | My-Father-is-Yam |