Bible Name Meaning Tool — Search Any Name (KJV)

Ahab

Pronounced AY-hab

boy

✓ In the King James Bible — Yes — Ahab appears in the King James Bible, including 1 Kings 21:25.

Meaning: "Brother of the father; Father's brother"
Origin: Hebrew

Ahab means "brother of the father" in Hebrew. He was the seventh king of Israel and is remembered as one of the most evil — yet also one of the most complex — rulers in biblical history. Ahab married Jezebel, the Phoenician princess who brought Baal worship to Israel with aggressive determination. Together they built a temple to Baal in Samaria and persecuted the prophets of the LORD. Elijah's confrontation with Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is one of Scripture's most dramatic scenes. Yet Ahab was more than a simple villain. He was a capable military leader who built cities and won significant battles. When Elijah prophesied judgment after the murder of Naboth for his vineyard, Ahab "rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly." God acknowledged this repentance and delayed the judgment. Ahab died in battle at Ramoth-Gilead, exactly as the prophet Micaiah had foretold. Dogs licked his blood from his chariot, fulfilling Elijah's earlier prophecy. His story demonstrates that even genuine moments of repentance cannot substitute for a lifetime of faithful obedience.

Spiritual meaning

Ahab — a king who knew right from wrong yet consistently chose wrong — warns that influence matters. His marriage to Jezebel dragged an entire nation into idolatry. Our closest relationships shape our deepest choices.

Related verses (KJV)

"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."
1 Kings 21:25 (KJV) →
"And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted."
1 Kings 21:27 (KJV) →

Full page for Ahab

People also looked up

Questions about biblical name meanings

How do I find the biblical meaning of a name?

Type the name into the search box above. The tool returns the Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or Latin root behind the name, its literal meaning, and the King James Version passages where it appears.

Does every name have a biblical meaning?

No. Many modern Christian names never appear in Scripture, and some popular 'biblical meanings' circulating online are inaccurate. Where a name is thematic rather than scriptural, we say so plainly instead of inventing a verse for it.

Which Bible translation do the verses come from?

The King James Version. It is public domain in the United States, so the text can be quoted and shared freely.

How can I tell whether a name is actually in the Bible?

Each result distinguishes a name that appears in the KJV from a later Christian or thematic name. Related verses explain a theme; they are not presented as proof that a modern name occurs in Scripture.