Bible Dictionary
Barzillai
Barzillai was a wealthy Gileadite who supplied David and his army during Absalom’s rebellion. David later commended his descendants to Solomon; other men of this name are also recorded.
Definition
Barzillai was the name of several men. The best-known was a wealthy Gileadite of Rogelim who supported David and his army during Absalom’s rebellion. Other Barzillais included the father of Adriel and a man connected with a priestly family after the exile.
Biblical Usage
The Gileadite Barzillai supplied provisions to David, accompanied him across the Jordan after Absalom’s defeat, and declined David’s invitation to live in Jerusalem because of his advanced age. David later charged Solomon to show kindness to Barzillai’s sons.
Historical Background
Barzillai was about eighty years old when David returned to Jerusalem. A later priestly family could not prove its genealogy because its ancestor had married into the family of the Gileadite Barzillai and adopted that family name.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Of iron. (1.) A Meholathite, the father of Adriel (2 Sam. 21:8). (2.) A Gileadite of Rogelim who was distinguished for his loyalty to David. He liberally provided for the king’s followers (2 Sam. 17:27). David on his death-bed, remembering his kindness, commended Barzillai’s children to the care of Solomon (1 Kings 2:7). (3.) A priest who married a daughter of the preceding (Ezra 2:61).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(iron, i.e., strong).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>bar-zil'-a-i, bar-zil'-i (barzillay; Berzelli, "man of iron" (BDB, but compare Cheyne, Encyclopedia Biblica)):</p><p>(1) A Gileadite of Rogelim who brought provisions to David and his army to Mahanaim, in their flight from Absalom (2Sa 17:27-29). When David was returning to Jerusalem after Absalom's defeat, Barzillai conducted him over Jordan, but being an old man of 80 years of age, he declined David's invitation to come to live in the capital, and sent instead his son Chimham (2Sa 19:31-39). David before his death charged Solomon to "show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai." (1Ki 2:7). Cheyne in Encyclopedia Biblica, without giving any reason, differentiates this Barzillai from Barzillai the Gileadite (Ezr 2:61 = Ne 7:63). See (2) below.</p><p>(2) The father of a family of priests who in Ezra's time, after the return of the exiles, could not trace their genealogy. "Therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood." This Barzillai had taken "a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite," and had adopted his wife's family name (Ezr 2:61,62 = Ne 7:63,64). His original name is given as Jaddus (the King James Version Addus) (1 Esdras 5:38). (See ZORZELLEUS; the Revised Version, margin "Phaezeldaeus.")</p><p>(3) Barzillai the Meholathite, whose son Adriel was married to Saul's daughter, either Michal (2Sa 21:8) or Merab (1Sa 18:19).</p><p>T. Rees</p>