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אֲבִישׁוּעַ

𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤏

Avishua

H50 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אבשוע father, call for help, be wealthy

Definition

Abishua — a personal name meaning 'my father is salvation' or possibly 'my father is opulent/wealthy.' Refers specifically to two individuals within Israelite genealogies: (1) a son of Phinehas (grandson of Aaron) from the priestly line and (2) a Benjaminite ancestor. The name expresses familial connection and attributes the quality of salvation or abundance to the father's character or the deity. The term is used strictly as a proper noun (personal name) rather than as a common noun or title, and it appears exclusively in genealogical or historical contexts in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

personal name, 'my father is salvation,' 'my father is wealthy/abundant,' individual name in Israelite genealogies

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew roots אָב ('av, 'father') and possibly שׁוּעַ ('shua', 'cry for help, salvation,' or 'wealth'). The etymology is debated: some suggest a meaning of 'my father is salvation' (with שׁוּעַ related to 'cry for help'/'deliverance'), while others propose 'my father is opulent/prosperous' (with a sense drawn from contexts where שׁוּעַ means 'wealth' or 'opulence'). This name thus combines a familial element with a descriptor of the father, either as a savior or as one who is wealthy.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, אֲבִישׁוּעַ appears in genealogical records, specifically for priests descended from Aaron (notably, in 1 Chronicles 6:4–5, 50; Ezra 7:5) and among Benjaminites (1 Chronicles 8:4, 11). The name helps confirm the historicity and continuity of priestly succession, and its rare usage indicates it was not a common Israelite name outside these circles. English translations treat this as a proper name ('Abishua'). The meaning ascribed by Strong's reflects traditional etymological interpretation but does not fully address the ambiguity between 'salvation/deliverance' and 'wealth.' The root שׁוּעַ, though rare, elsewhere has the sense of 'salvation' or 'wealth,' and precise intent in naming is not clearly distinguished in the biblical texts. Use of this name is limited to the genealogical/historical contexts; it is not found as a title or noun for a group identity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

xlit ʼĂbîyshûwac corrected to ʼĂbîyshûwaʻ; from אָב and שׁוֹעַ; father of plenty (i.e. prosperous); Abishua, the name of two Israelites; Abishua.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אבשוע (ʾ-b-š-w-ʿ) — father, cry for help, salvation, wealth, abundance

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H50-01 אֲבִישׁ֗וּעַ avishua HNp Abishua My Father Is Salvation 3
H50-02 וַ/אֲבִישׁ֨וּעַ֙ vaavishua HC/Np and Abishua and Abishua 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H50-01 Ezra 7:5 אֲבִישׁ֗וּעַ avishua HNp Abishua My Father Is Salvation
H50-01 1 Chronicles 5:30 אֲבִישֽׁוּעַ avishua HNp Abishua My Father Is Salvation
H50-02 1 Chronicles 5:31 וַ/אֲבִישׁ֨וּעַ֙ vaavishua HC/Np and Abishua and Abishua
H50-01 1 Chronicles 6:35 אֲבִישׁ֥וּעַ avishua HNp Abishua My Father Is Salvation
H50-02 1 Chronicles 8:4 וַ/אֲבִישׁ֥וּעַ vaavishua HC/Np and Abishua and Abishua
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