Ahitub is a biblical figure mentioned in the Old Testament, primarily within the genealogies and priestly lineages of Israel. His name, meaning "brother of goodness" or "my brother is good," reflects the Hebrew tradition of names bearing significant meanings. Ahitub is noted for his role in the priestly lineage, which is crucial for understanding the religious and social structure of ancient Israel.

Genealogy and Lineage

Ahitub is identified as a descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, who was the first high priest of Israel. This connection places Ahitub within the Levitical priesthood, a hereditary line responsible for the religious duties and rituals of the Israelites. Ahitub is mentioned as the son of Phinehas and the father of Ahijah and Ahimelech, making him a significant link in the priestly succession.

1. 1 Samuel 14:3 : "Ahijah son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod."

2. 1 Chronicles 6:11-12 : "Azariah was the father of Ahitub, Ahitub was the father of Zadok."

Role in the Priesthood

Ahitub's role in the priesthood is primarily understood through his descendants, who held significant positions in the religious leadership of Israel. His son Ahimelech served as a priest during the reign of King Saul and was involved in the narrative concerning David. Ahimelech provided David with the consecrated bread and the sword of Goliath when David fled from Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-9). This act of assistance to David led to a tragic event where King Saul ordered the massacre of the priests at Nob, including Ahimelech (1 Samuel 22:11-19).

Ahitub's lineage continued to play a vital role in the priesthood through his descendant Zadok, who served as a high priest during the reigns of David and Solomon. Zadok's loyalty to David during Absalom's rebellion and his support for Solomon's succession to the throne further solidified the prominence of Ahitub's line in the religious and political life of Israel.

Historical and Theological Significance

The mention of Ahitub and his descendants highlights the importance of the priestly lineage in maintaining the religious traditions and covenantal relationship between God and Israel. The priests were responsible for performing sacrifices, maintaining the tabernacle (and later the temple), and teaching the Law to the people. Ahitub's family, through their service and sometimes their suffering, exemplified the challenges and responsibilities of spiritual leadership in a turbulent period of Israel's history.

Ahitub's legacy, as seen through his descendants, underscores the continuity of God's covenantal promises and the centrality of the priesthood in the life of Israel. His lineage's involvement in key biblical events reflects the intertwining of religious duty and national identity, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament narrative.Ahitub

brother of goodness

Ahitub

(brother of goodness).

1. The son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, and therefore of the family of Ithamar. (1 Samuel 14:3; 22:9,11) (B.C. 1125.) He was succeeded by his son Ahijah (AHIMELECH). (B.C. 1085.)
2. Son of Amariah, and father of Zadok the high priest, (1 Chronicles 6:7,8; 2 Samuel 8:17) of the house of Eleazar. (B.C. before 1045.)

Ahitub

1. Grandson of Eli, and son of Phinehas, in whose place he succeeded to the high priesthood on the death of Eli, Phinehas having perished in battle, B. C. 1141, 1 Samuel 4:11.

2. Son of Amariah, and father of Zadok, 2 Samuel 8:17; 1 Chronicles 6:8.

Brother of goodness = good.

(1.) The son of Phinehas. On the death of his grandfather Eli he succeeded to the office of high priest, and was himself succeeded by his son Ahijah (1 Samuel 14:3; 22:9, 11, 12, 20).

(2.) The father of Zadok, who was made high priest by Saul after the extermination of the family of Ahimelech (1 Chronicles 6:7, 8; 2 Samuel 8:17).

AHITUB

a-hi'-tub ('achiTubh, "brother of goodness," i.e. "good brother," or, "my brother is goodness"):

(1) The brother of Ichabod and son of Phinehas the son of Eli (1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 22:9, 11, 12, 20), According to 1 Chronicles 24 he and his line were descended from Aaron through Ithamar. The record implies that he was born while his father and grandfather were priests at Shiloh, and it says that he was the father and grandfather of priests; but it is silent as to his own exercise of the priestly office. We have no information concerning the office from the time when the Philistines captured the ark till Saul became king. See AHIJAH; AHIMELECH; ABIATHAR.

(2) A descendant of Aaron through Eleazar: by this fact distinguished from Ahitub, the descendant of Ithamar, though nearly contemporaneous with him. Especially known as the father of Zadok who, at Solomon's accession, became sole high priest (2 Samuel 8:17 1 Chronicles 6:8; 1 Chronicles 18:16). His genealogical line, from Levi to the Exile, is given in 1 Chronicles 6:1-15. The three successive names, Ahitub and Zadok and Ahimaaz, appear in 2 Samuel 8:17; 2 Samuel 15:27, etc. The line is paralleled by selected names in Ezra 7:1-5, and relatively late parts of it are paralleled in 1 Chronicles 9:11 and Nehemiah 11:11. The best explanation of certain phenomena in Chronicles is that the record was copied from originals that were more or less fragmentary. In some cases, also, a writer gives only such parts of a genealogy as are needed for his purpose. It is due to these causes that there are many omissions in the genealogical lists, and that they supplement one another. Allowing for these facts there is no reason why we should not regard the genealogies of Ahitub as having distract historical value.

(3) In the genealogies, in the seventh generation from Ahitub, the descendant of Eleazar, appears another Ahitub, the son of another Amariah and the father (or grandfather) of another Zadok (1 Chronicles 6:11; 1 Chronicles 9:11, Nehemiah 11:11). The list in Ezra 7 omits a block of names, and the Ahitub there named may be either 2 or 3. He is mentioned in 1 Esdras 8:2 and 2 Esdras 1:1, and the name occurs in Judith 8:1. In these places it appears in the English versions in the various forms: Ahitub, Ahitob, Achitob, Acitho.

Willis J. Beecher

285. Achitub -- "my brother is goodness," two Israelites
... "my brother is goodness," two Israelites. Transliteration: Achitub Phonetic Spelling:
(akh-ee-toob') Short Definition: Ahitub. ... NASB Word Usage Ahitub (15). ...
/hebrew/285.htm - 6k

The Cost of a Lie
... now is?" Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, spoke
up and said, "I saw the son of Jesse go to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the cost of a lie.htm

How Solomon, when He had Received the Kingdom Took Off His
... the son of Abishua the high priest; his son was Joatham; Joatham's son was Meraioth;
Meraioth's son was Arophseus; Aropheus's son was Ahitub; and Ahitub's son ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how solomon when.htm

The Pharisees' Sabbath and Christ's
... feeding their hungry brother. The brave Ahimelech, 'the son of Ahitub,' was
ahead of a good many people of to-day. The second example ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the pharisees sabbath and christs.htm

How Even Apostles Thought that a Lie was Often Useful and the ...
... to inform me," did Doeg the Edomite say anything but the truth, when he told him:
"I saw the son of Jesse in Nob, with Abimelech the son of Ahitub the priest ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xx how even apostles.htm

How the Philistines Made Another Expedition against the Hebrews ...
... it, and when the soldiers were not unwilling to follow him, but indeed showed great
readiness to do as he commanded them, the king called Ahitub the high priest ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how the philistines.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6. <. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Ahitub (16 Occurrences)
...AHITUB. ... (2) A descendant of Aaron through Eleazar: by this fact distinguished from
Ahitub, the descendant of Ithamar, though nearly contemporaneous with him. ...
/a/ahitub.htm - 14k

Ahi'tub (15 Occurrences)
Ahi'tub. Ahitub, Ahi'tub. Ahlab . Multi-Version Concordance Ahi'tub
(15 Occurrences). 1 Samuel 14:3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub...
/a/ahi'tub.htm - 9k

Meraioth (7 Occurrences)
... Levite, a descendant of Aaron (1 Chronicles 6:6 Ezra 7:3), called "Memeroth" in
1 Esdras 8:2; and "Marimoth" in 2 Esdras 1:2. (2) The son of Ahitub and father ...
/m/meraioth.htm - 9k

Ahim'elech (16 Occurrences)
... 22:9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and
said: 'I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ...
/a/ahim'elech.htm - 11k

Ahimelech (17 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Brother of the king, the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar
(1 Samuel 22:20-23). He descended from Eli in the line of Ithamar. ...
/a/ahimelech.htm - 20k

Merai'oth (7 Occurrences)
... 1 Chronicles 6:7 Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; (See RSV). 1
Chronicles 6:52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son; (See RSV). ...
/m/merai'oth.htm - 7k

Amari'ah (13 Occurrences)
... 1 Chronicles 6:7 Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; (See RSV). 1
Chronicles 6:11 and Azariah begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub; (See RSV). ...
/a/amari'ah.htm - 9k

Amariah (14 Occurrences)
... 1 Chronicles 6:7 Meraioth became the father of Amariah, and Amariah became the
father of Ahitub, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV). ...
/a/amariah.htm - 14k

Abi'athar (28 Occurrences)
... RSV). 1 Samuel 22:20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,
named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. (See RSV). ...
/a/abi'athar.htm - 14k

Ahijah (23 Occurrences)
... (3.) Son of Ahitub (1 Samuel 14:3, 18), Ichabod's brother; the same probably as
Ahimelech, who was high priest at Nob in the reign of Saul (1 Samuel 22:11). ...
/a/ahijah.htm - 21k

Who was Zadok in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Doeg the Edomite? | GotQuestions.org

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