Ahitub
“Brother of goodness, or good brother”
Summary
The name of at least two (possibly three) Israelite priests from different genealogical lines who served during the periods of the Judges and the monarchy.
☩Ahitub of Ithamar's Line
The first Ahitub was a descendant of Ithamar through Eli. He was the son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, born while his father and grandfather were priests at Shiloh. His father died in the battle when the Philistines captured the ark, and his grandfather Eli died upon hearing the news. Ahitub succeeded Eli in the high-priesthood around 1125 BC and was succeeded by his son Ahijah (also called Ahimelech) around 1085 BC. The record indicates he was the father and grandfather of priests, though it is silent about his own exercise of the priestly office.
☩Ahitub of Eleazar's Line
A second Ahitub, distinguished from the first by being a descendant of Aaron through Eleazar, was the son (or descendant) of Amariah and the father of Zadok, who became sole high priest at Solomon's accession. His genealogical line from Levi to the Exile is given in Chronicles. Since his son Zadok was made high priest by Saul after the extermination of Ahimelech's family, this Ahitub likely was not himself an incumbent of the high-priesthood. He is described as "ruler of the house of God," indicating his position as high priest.
☩Possible Third Ahitub
A third Ahitub may appear in the genealogies seven generations after the second Ahitub, as the son of another Amariah and father of another Zadok. Some scholars suggest this may be a copyist's error due to the improbable coincidence of names, and the person intended might be Azariah mentioned in Chronicles. However, the lists in Ezra and Chronicles may simply reflect omissions common in biblical genealogies, supplementing one another rather than indicating error.
Related Verses15 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Ahitub," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Ahitub," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Ahitub," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Ahitub," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).