Abigail Heart. Abigail Origin and Meaning The name Abigail is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "my father is joyful". Abigail comes from the Hebrew name Avigail and is derived from the Hebrew elements ab , meaning "father," and g-y-l , meaning "to rejoice. In her long, eloquent speech vv. David then praises her good sense and expresses gratitude that she restrained him from bloodshed, uttering an oath to counter the prior violent one v. As in the encounters with King Saul that frame this story chs.
Yet it also anticipates his darker side, when David does not restrain himself from adultery and murder in the story of Bathsheba and Uriah 2 Samuel 11— Based on her prescience, the Talmud identifies Abigail as one of the seven female prophets in the Hebrew Bible b.
Megillah 15a. More likely, she is keenly perceptive about the shifting tides of history. David, hearing that she has been widowed, sends for her. She then becomes his wife. Because of the hint to David v. Yet, there is no hint of illicit behavior on her part. In the Abigail story, on the other hand, the woman is married to an evil husband and prevents him from murdering Nabal and all the males of the household , as David acknowledges vv.
In the Abigail story, David, the potential king, is seen as increasingly strong and virtuous, whereas in the Bathsheba story, the reigning monarch shows his flaws ever more overtly and begins to lose control of his family. Adelman, Rachel. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, Berlin, Adele. Yet David had been quick to exterminate the household of a man who had merely insulted him.
His life of exile had angered him, and this anger had nearly driven him to seek vengeance against a man who was not the real enemy. He sent her away with a blessing, promising her safe return home and the preservation of the men of Nabal. But her story echoes in the hearts of all women as an example of true submission and courage, even in the face of danger.
In the Bible, Abigail is described as a beautiful and intelligent woman. When her foolish husband offended King David and was about to bring disaster on their household, Abigail took action to prevent bloodshed by approaching King David with sound judgment and diplomacy.
She was praised for her intelligence and loyalty. Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. The name Abigail entered the Social Security List of top 1, names in at number It fell off the list shortly after and didn't make its way back on until Starting in the s, the name really began to trend.
By it had peaked in popularity, ranking at number four. In it was ranked number There were several famous Abigails in the s that may have contributed to the growing popularity of the name at that time. With its sensible overtone and its endearing and accessible nicknames, it's no wonder that the name Abigail has been favored for so many decades.
The following are variations of the name Abigail:. Other Biblical girl names:. Other girl names starting with A:. There are several nicknames that can be derived from the name Abigail:. Looking for a sibling name for Abigail? Here are some popular options:. Notable Abigails have ranged in personalities, embodying the steadfastness of the biblical Abigail to the liveliness of one of "Sesame Street's" most popular characters.
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