Abihail in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
ab'-i-hal ('abhichayil; in some manuscripts 'abhihayil, when
feminine, but best reading is the former: "father, or cause,
of strength"): Five persons in the Old Testament are called
by this name: (1) A Levite and the father of Zuriel, who in
the Wilderness was head of the house of Merari, Levi's
youngest son (Nu 3:35); (2) The wife of Abishur, a man of
the tribe of Judah, in the line of Hazron and Jerahmeel (1
Ch 2:29); (3) One of the heads of the tribe of Gad, who
dwelt in Gilead of Bashan (1 Ch 5:14); (4) Either a wife of
Rehoboam, king of Judah, or mother of his wife Mahalath,
according to the interpretation of the text (2 Ch 11:18);
probably the latter view is correct, since there is no
conjunction in the text, and since (2 Ch 11:19) contemplates
only one wife as already mentioned. This being true, she was
the wife of Jerimath, a son of David, and daughter of Eliab,
David's eldest brother. It is interesting to note this
frequent intermarriage in the Davidic house; (5) Father of
Queen Esther, who became wife of Xerxes (Biblical Ahasuerus)
king of Persia, after the removal of the former queen,
Vashti, (Est 2:15; 9:29). He was uncle of Mordecai.
Edward Mack
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