Ahinoam
“Brother (or relative) of pleasantness, pleasant”
Summary
The name of two women: the wife of King Saul and the Jezreelitess who was David's first wife and mother of his firstborn son Amnon.
☩Wife of Saul
Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz, was the wife of King Saul. She bore him several children and shared his reign over Israel.
☩Wife of David
A second Ahinoam was a woman from Jezreel who became David's first wife while he was still a fugitive from Saul. She is consistently mentioned first when David's early wives are listed together with Abigail, indicating her precedence. When the Amalekites raided and burned Ziklag, Ahinoam was among those captured but was subsequently rescued when David pursued and defeated the raiders.
☩Mother of Amnon
After David became king in Hebron, Ahinoam bore his firstborn son Amnon, who later brought tragedy to the royal house through his crime against his half-sister Tamar. She continued to reside with David at Hebron during the early years of his reign over Judah.
Related Verses8 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ahinoam," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Ahinoam," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).