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{{Infobox Given Name Revised
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| gender =female
| meaning =joy
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'''Abigail''' ({{Hebrew Name 2|אֲבִיגַיִל|אֲבִיגָיִל|Avigáyil||ʾĂḇîḡáyil|ʾĂḇîḡāyil|"her Father's joy" or "fountain of joy"}} is a female name occurring in [[Bible|Biblical narratives]] from the [[Books of Samuel]], and reflected in the [[Books of Chronicles]]. The name ''Abigal'' occurs on one occasion<ref name=2Sam3-3>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|3:3|}}</ref>, and is thought by the vast majority of scholars to be an alternate spelling of ''Abigail''. There appear to be two individuals named ''Abigail'':
*The wife of [[Nabal]], who became a wife of [[David (biblical king)|David]] after Nabal's sudden death (see [[Nabal]]).<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|25|}}</ref> She became the mother of [[Daniel (son of David)|one of David's sons]], who is named in the [[Book of Chronicles]] as ''Daniel,''<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|3:1|}}</ref> in the [[masoretic text]] of the Books of Samuel as ''Chileab,''<ref name=2Sam3-3/> and in the [[Septuagint]] text of the Books of Samuel as ''Daluyah.''<ref>2 Samuel 3:3, LXX</ref>
*The mother of [[Amasa]]. In the Book of Chronicles, and Septuagint version of the Books of Samuel, Abigail's father is identified as being [[Jesse]],<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|2:13-16|}}</ref><ref>2 Samuel 17:25, LXX</ref> and she therefore would be a sister of David, but in the masoretic text of the Books of Samuel her father is named ''Nahash;''<ref name=2Sam17-25>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|17:25|}}</ref> scholars think that ''Nahash'' is a [[typographic error]] here,<ref name=Peake>''Peake's commentary on the Bible''</ref><ref name=Jewish>''Jewish Encyclopedia''</ref> based on the appearance of the name two verses later.<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Samuel|17:27|}}</ref><ref name=Peake/> In the Book of Chronicles, Amasa's father is identified as ''Jether the [[Ishmaelite]],''<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|2:17|}}</ref> but in the Books of Samuel, Amasa's father is identified as ''Ithra the [[Israelite]];''<ref name=2Sam17-25/> scholars think that the latter case is more likely.<ref name=Jewish/>

It is possible for both these women named ''Abigail'' to be different accounts of the same woman, as textual scholars regard the account in the Books of Chronicles as ultimately deriving from the Books of Samuel, and the references there to ''Abigail'' as a sister of David occur only in the passages which textual scholars attribute to the ''[[court history of David]],''<ref>''Jewish Encyclopedia'', Books of Samuel</ref> a document which doesn't mention an ''Abigail'' as one of David's wives.

The first Abigail's self-styling as a ''handmaid''<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Samuel|25:25|}} and following</ref> led to ''Abigail'' being the traditional term for a waiting-woman (for example, Abigail, the ''waiting gentlewoman'', in [[Beaumont and Fletcher]]'s ''[[The Scornful Lady]]'', published in 1616).

==References==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Abigail}}
<references />

==External links==


{{Prophets of the Tanakh}}

[[Category:Hebrew names]]
[[Category:Feminine given names]]

[[ca:Abigail]]
[[cs:Abigail]]
[[da:Abigail]]
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[[el:Αβιγαία]]
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[[eo:Abigail]]
[[he:אביגיל]]
[[sw:Abigaili]]
[[hu:Abigél]]
[[nl:Abigaïl]]
[[pl:Abigail]]
[[pt:Abigail (Bíblia)]]
[[sr:Абигел (име)]]
[[sv:Abigail]]