Levite living at the time of United Monarchy
Abijah was one of Samuel's sons who served as a judge in Israel but did not follow his father's righteous ways.
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Also known as Abiah
Abijah was one of the sons of Samuel, the last judge and a prominent prophet in Israel. Along with his brother Joel, Abijah was appointed by Samuel as a judge over Israel in his old age (1Sa.8.1-2). However, Abijah and his brother did not walk in the righteous ways of their father. They turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice (1Sa.8.3).
The corrupt behavior of Abijah and Joel led the elders of Israel to demand a king to rule over them, rejecting the leadership of Samuel and his sons (1Sa.8.4-5). This event marked the transition from the period of the judges to the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. Abijah is also mentioned in the genealogy of the Levites in 1Ch.6.28, confirming his lineage as a descendant of Levi through Samuel.
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2 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H0029
The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.
The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn and Abijah his second son.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.