avishay · Abishai

What it means

avishay (אֲבִישַׁי) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “Abishai”.

Son of Zeruiah (David's sister) and brother of Joab; one of David's closest warriors (1 Samuel 26:6). It means "my father is a gift".

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Where it appears

• 1 Samuel×5
• 2 Samuel×15
• 1 Chronicles×5

• 1 Samuel 26:6

  David answered and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul, to the camp?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”

• 1 Samuel 26:7

  David and Abishai came to the people by night, and look, Saul was lying asleep within the camp enclosure, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

• 1 Samuel 26:8

  Abishai said to David, “Elohim has delivered your enemy into your hand today. Now please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him twice.”

• 1 Samuel 26:9

  David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the anointed of YHWH and be without guilt?”

• 2 Samuel 2:18

  The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was swift of foot like one of the gazelles that are in the field.

• 2 Samuel 2:24

  Joab and Abishai pursued Abner; and the sun was going down when they came as far as the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

• 2 Samuel 3:30

  So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put to death Asahel their brother at Gibeon in the battle.

• 2 Samuel 10:10

  And the rest of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he drew them up against the sons of Ammon.

• 2 Samuel 10:14

  When the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

• 2 Samuel 16:9

  Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me cross over and take off his head.”

• 2 Samuel 16:11

  David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son, who came out from my own body, seeks my life; how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse, for YHWH has told him.

• 2 Samuel 18:2

  David sent out the people, a third under the command of Joab, a third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will surely go out with you myself too.”

• 2 Samuel 18:5

  The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Gently, for my sake, with the young man, with Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king commanded all the commanders about Absalom.

• 2 Samuel 18:12

  The man said to Joab, “Even if I were weighing on my palms a thousand shekels of silver, I would not put out my hand against the son of the king; for in our ears the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Protect, whoever you are, the young man, Absalom.’

• 2 Samuel 19:21

  Abishai son of Zeruiah answered and said, “For this, shall not Shimei be put to death, because he cursed the anointed of YHWH?”

• 2 Samuel 20:6

  David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. You take the servants of your lord and pursue him, or he will find for himself fortified cities and escape our eye.”

• 2 Samuel 20:10

  But Amasa did not guard himself against the sword that was in the hand of Joab, and he struck him with it in the belly and poured out his entrails on the ground, and he did not repeat the blow on him, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.

• 2 Samuel 21:17

  But Abishai son of Zeruiah helped him, and he struck the Philistine and put him to death. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “You shall not go out with us to battle again, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”

• 2 Samuel 23:18

  Abishai, the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he was head of the three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.

• 1 Chronicles 2:16

  And their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, three.

• 1 Chronicles 11:20

  As for Abishai, the brother of Joab, he was head of the three; and he brandished his spear against three hundred slain, and he had a name among the three.

• 1 Chronicles 18:12

  And Abishai son of Zeruiah struck Edom in the Valley of Salt: eighteen thousand.

• 1 Chronicles 19:11

  And the rest of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they drew up against the sons of Ammon.

• 1 Chronicles 19:15

  When the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, they too fled before Abishai his brother and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

And 1 more times.