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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Abimael

Abimael meaning

Abimael in Biblical Hebrew
אבימאל
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Abimael.html

🔼The name Abimael: Summary

Meaning
God Is Father, A Father Is El, My Father From God
Etymology
From (1) the noun אב ('ab), father, (2) the letter מ, "from," and (3) the word אל ('el), God.
Related names
• Via אב ('ab): Abba, Abi, Abi-albon, Abiasaph, Abiathar, Abida, Abidan, Abiel, Abiezer, Abigail, Abihail, Abihu, Abihud, Abijah, Abijam, Abimelech, Abinadab, Abinoam, Abiram, Abishag, Abishai, Abishalom, Abishua, Abishur, Abital, Abitub, Abiud, Abner, Abram, Absalom, Ahab, Atroth-beth-joab, Barabbas, Bebai, Ben-abinadab, Chileab, Eliab, Huram-abi, Jeshebeab, Joab, Job, Moab, Oholiab
• Via אל ('el): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of 'el-names.

🔼The name Abimael in the Bible

Abimael is one of many sons of Joktan, the brother of Peleg (Genesis 10:28), and Peleg is the ancestor of Abraham. The Joktanites are the last mentioned Shemite generation before the tower of Babel is built.

🔼Etymology of the name Abimael

The name Abimael is a compilation of three elements. The first part is the familiar word אב ('ab), meaning father:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אב

The noun אב ('ab) means father, but describes primarily a social relationship rather than a biological one. That social fatherhood was the defining quality of the community's alpha male, the one around whom all economy revolved and from whom emanated all instructions by which the 'sons' (בן, ben) operated. It's unclear where this word אב ('ab) comes from but the verb abu means to decide.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The central part is the letter מ, which, when used as suffix, means from.

The third element of the name Abimael is the word אל (El), which is the abbreviated form of Elohim, the genus God:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
אל  אלה

In names אל ('el) usually refers to אלהים ('elohim), that is Elohim, or God, also known as אלה ('eloah). In English, the words 'God' and 'god' exclusively refer to the deity but in Hebrew the words אל ('l) and אלה ('lh) are far more common and may express approach and negation, acts of wailing and pointing, and may even mean oak or terebinth.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Abimael meaning

BDB Theological Dictionary reads A Father Is El, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads God Is Father, but both fail take into account the מ-particle. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes My Father From God.