The divided kingdomLevite (descendant of Merari)Ancestor of the temple singer EthanFather of the Levite KishIsraelite from the clan of Elam in post-exilic timesc. 10th century BC (time of David), c. 8th century BC (time of Hezekiah) and c. 5th century BC (time of Ezra)
The Hebrew name Abdi (עַבְדִּי), meaning 'my servant' and likely a shortened form of Obadiah ('servant of the Lord'), refers to at least three different individuals in the Old Testament. The first appears in the Levitical genealogy in 1 Chronicles as the son of Malchijah among the Merarites, and is counted among the ancestors of the temple singer Ethan, who served in the musical ministry of the sanctuary during King David's reign. The second—and most prominent—Abdi was the father of the Levite Kish from the family of Merari. Kish actively participated in the thorough cleansing of Jerusalem’s temple during King Hezekiah’s reforms in the 700s BC, a reform aimed at restoring pure worship after widespread idolatry under King Ahaz. The third person with this name was the son of Elam; he was not a Levite but an ordinary Israelite who lived after the return from the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned among those who had married foreign women and, under Ezra’s guidance, committed themselves to dissolving these marriages out of faithfulness to God’s covenant. Together, these three figures illuminate central aspects of Israel’s faith history: the continuity of liturgical service across generations, the struggle for religious renewal and reform, and the challenges of maintaining religious identity amid cultural mixing.
In the Levitical genealogy in 1 Chronicles, Abdi is mentioned as the son of Malluk from the branch of Levi belonging to Merari. He was one of the ancestors of the temple singer Ethan, who played an important role in the musical service of the sanctuary during King David's reign.
Another Abdi from the family of Merari was the father of Kish, a Levite who actively participated in the cleansing and consecration of the temple during King Hezekiah's religious reforms. The Levites were gathered to remove all impurity from the sanctuary and restore proper worship after the decline under King Ahaz.
12Then these Levites stepped forward: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; from the Merarites, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel; from the Gershonites, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;
15They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves, and then they went in to purify the house of the LORD, as the king had commanded according to the words of the LORD.
16The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to purify it. Everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the courtyard of the house of the LORD, and the Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.
17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: "We have purified the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for the rows of bread with all its utensils.
19We have also prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz cast aside in his unfaithfulness during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD."
A third Abdi, son of Elam, is mentioned among the Israelites who had married foreign women after returning from the Babylonian exile. In line with Ezra's exhortations, these men committed to sending away their foreign wives to preserve the people's religious identity and faithfulness to God's covenant.