Abitub is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Abitub was a descendant of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob. He is named in the genealogy of Benjamin recorded in 1 Chronicles 8, a chapter devoted to tracing the families and clans of that tribe. His father was Shaharaim, a Benjamite who is described in the surrounding verses as having children by multiple wives. Abitub’s mother was Hushim, and the text records that “of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal” (1 Chronicles 8:11). This makes Abitub one of two sons named in that verse, the other being his brother Elpaal.
The setting of this passage is a genealogical record, not a narrative. The Chronicler, writing after the Babylonian exile, was compiling the ancestry of Israel’s tribes to reestablish the identity of the returned community. In this context, Abitub appears only as a name in a lineage—no actions, words, or events are attributed to him anywhere in Scripture. He is not mentioned again in the Bible, and nothing is recorded of his life, occupation, or character.
What Scripture says of Abitub is therefore limited to his place in the family line: he was a son of Shaharaim and Hushim, a brother of Elpaal, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. His inclusion in the genealogy shows that he belonged to the covenant people and that his family was counted among the Benjamites whose descendants were known to the post-exilic community. Beyond this single verse, the Bible is silent about him.
The Name
The name Abitub is a Hebrew name, and its meaning is not clearly recoverable from the biblical text or from standard lexical sources. Various suggestions have been offered—some connecting the first element to “father” and the second to a word for “goodness” or “pleasantness”—but these remain conjectural rather than well established. Because the etymology is uncertain, it is best to say plainly that the meaning of this name is not definitively known. No inspired interpretation of the name is given in Scripture, and we should not invent one for the sake of having a tidy explanation.
A Closing Thought
Abitub’s life is summed up in a single line of a long list of names. He did nothing recorded, said nothing preserved, and yet he was not forgotten by God. His name, carried through generations and finally written into Scripture, is a quiet reminder that the Lord remembers those the world overlooks. Most of us will live without renown, our days hidden in ordinary faithfulness. That is enough. The God who numbered the families of Benjamin knows every life, and being written into His book matters far more than being written into history.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- 1 Chronicles 8:11 — And of Hushim he begat Abitub, and Elpaal.