Aaron
Overview
Aaron, the elder brother of Moses and Miriam, stands as one of the most pivotal yet multifaceted figures in Scripture. As a Levite and son of Amram and Jochebed, Aaron was chosen by God to serve as spokesman for Moses during the Exodus and was conse…
Abednego
Overview
Abednego was one of three Hebrew young men taken into captivity in Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II. His Hebrew name was Azariah, meaning "The Lord Helps," but Babylonian officials renamed him Abednego as part of their systematic a…
Abel
Overview
Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve, born into a world forever altered by humanity's fall into sin. Though his earthly life was tragically brief, his faithful worship and righteous character establish him as a foundational figure whose story ech…
Abiathar
Overview
"Then Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, escaped and fled after David" — 1 Samuel 22:20. Abiathar was a high priest in ancient Israel who served during the reigns of King David and King Solomon. He is remembered as a significant figure whose…
Abigail
Overview
Abigail was "a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance" (1 Samuel 25:3) who lived during the reign of King David in ancient Israel. She was the wife of Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man from Carmel, and later became one of David's wives.…
Abijah
Abijah: A Biblical Reference
Who/What Was Abijah?
Abijah (also spelled Abiam) was "king over Judah" who "reigned three years" (1 Kings 14:31; 15:1 BSB). The Bible identifies him as the son of Rehoboam, the first king of the divided kingdom of Judah, and rep…
Abimelech
Overview
"Now Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah" — Genesis 26:8. Abimelech appears in Scripture as a king of the Philistines who encountered the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac during critical m…
Abimelech Son of Gideon
Overview
Abimelech son of Gideon stands as one of the most troubling figures in the Old Testament, serving as a cautionary example of ambition, violence, and the consequences of rejecting God's order. Born to Gideon and a Shechemite concubine, Abimelech repr…
Abner
Overview
"Then Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul's army, took Ish-bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim." — 2 Samuel 2:8 BSB
Abner was the commander-in-chief of King Saul's army and one of the most influential military figures in Israel…
Abner Son of Ner
Overview
Abner son of Ner was one of the most significant military figures in ancient Israel, serving as the commander of King Saul's army and later playing a crucial role during the transition of power to David's reign. Born into a family of prominence—his …
Abraham (Originally Abram)
Overview
Abraham stands as the foundational figure of biblical faith and covenant relationship with God. Scripture declares that "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness" — Romans 4:3. Originally named Abram, he was called…
Absalom
Overview
Absalom was the third son of King David and is one of the most complex figures in the Old Testament narrative. His life presents a tragic study of rebellion, pride, and the consequences of sin that reverberate through generations. Though born into t…
Absalom's Rebellion and Death
Overview
"Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the road leading to the gate. When any man with a grievance came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call out to him, 'What city are you from?' And when he replied, 'Your servant is from one of the …
Achan
Overview
"Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them" — Joshua 7:11. Achan was an Israelite man whose covetous disobedience brought devastating consequences upon the entire nation of Israel during the conquest of Ca…
Achish
Overview
"Then Achish said to David, 'Where have you been raiding today?' David said, 'Against the Negev of Judah, and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites, and against the Negev of the Kenites'" — 1 Samuel 27:10. Achish was a Philistine king of Gath who p…
Adam
Overview
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" — Genesis 1:27. Adam was the first human being created by God, the progenitor of all humanity, and the central figure in humani…
Adonijah
Overview
Adonijah was the fourth son of King David, whose life stands as a stark biblical illustration of the destructive power of pride, ambition, and rebellion against God's sovereign purposes. His account, recorded primarily in 1 Kings 1-2, reveals how hu…
Agabus
Overview
Agabus stands as a significant prophetic figure in the New Testament, identified as one of the few individuals explicitly called a prophet during the apostolic era. His ministry appears in the Book of Acts, where he delivers two major prophecies tha…
Agabus the Prophet
Overview
Agabus was a prophet in the early Christian church who appears in the Book of Acts during the apostolic period. He is known for delivering divinely inspired messages that warned believers of coming difficulties and challenges. Though his appearances…
Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II)
Overview
Herod Agrippa II was a first-century Jewish ruler who governed territories in Palestine during the apostolic age. Born around A.D. 27, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and the son of Herod Agrippa I. Though raised in a dynasty of conside…
Agur
Overview
"The words of Agur son of Jakeh—an oracle. This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal" — Proverbs 30:1. Agur is a wisdom teacher whose words are recorded in the book of Proverbs. Very little biographical information appears in Scriptu…
Ahab
Overview
Ahab son of Omri was the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel, reigning approximately 874–853 BC. He stands as one of the most spiritually destructive rulers in Israel's history, distinguished not merely by personal sin but by systematic i…
Ahab and Jezebel
Overview
"Now Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And as though it were a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians…
Ahaz
Overview
Ahaz was the twelfth king of the southern kingdom of Judah, reigning from approximately 735 to 715 BC. Scripture records: "In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign" — 2 Kings 16:1. Despite h…
Ahijah the Shilonite
Overview
Ahijah the Shilonite stands as a prophet who confronted kings with God's uncompromising Word. Scripture reveals him as the messenger through whom the Lord executed judgment on the house of Solomon and announced the division of Israel's kingdom. His …
Ahithophel
Overview
Ahithophel was one of King David's most trusted advisors, serving in the royal court as a counselor whose wisdom was held in exceptionally high regard throughout Israel. His counsel was so respected that it was considered as authoritative as seeking…
Alexander (the Coppersmith)
Overview
"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds" — 2 Timothy 4:14. This is the only biblical mention of Alexander the coppersmith, a man who actively opposed the apostle Paul and his gospel ministry. Thoug…
Amalek
Overview
"Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim" — Exodus 17:8. Amalek was a fierce nomadic people who became Israel's earliest recorded enemy after the Exodus from Egypt. As a nation descended from Esau's grandson (Genesis 36:12), Amalek re…
Amasa
Overview
Amasa was a military commander in ancient Israel whose life and death illustrate the consequences of political ambition, divided loyalties, and the abuse of power. Scripture records: "Then the king said to Amasa, 'Summon the men of Judah to me withi…
Amaziah
Overview
"In those days Amaziah king of Judah sent messengers to Jehoash king of Israel, saying, 'Come, let us look one another in the face'" — 2 Kings 14:8. Amaziah was a king of Judah who reigned for twenty-nine years and demonstrated both spiritual victor…