Ahinoam

David's wife from Jezreel

Also known as: Ahinoam

The united kingdomRoyal wifeMother of David's firstbornc. 1050–1000 BC

Ahinoam from Jezreel in Judah was among the first women David married, during the turbulent period when he lived as a fugitive fleeing Saul's persecution. She and Abigail shared David's wandering life and followed him all the way into Philistine territory, where they settled in Ziklag. When the Amalekites raided the city and carried off all its inhabitants, Ahinoam was taken captive—but David launched a bold rescue mission and brought everyone back to safety. After David was crowned king in Hebron, Ahinoam bore his firstborn son, Amnon. Amnon's fate—his abuse of his half-sister Tamar and the subsequent revenge by Absalom—testifies to the deep tensions and human costs within the rival dynastic network that grew up in David's household.

Family

Key events

Marriage to David

Ahinoam from Jezreel became David's wife while he was fleeing from Saul. She is mentioned alongside Abigail as one of David's first two wives.

43David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, so both of them were his wives.
וְאֶת־אֲחִינֹ֛עַם לָקַ֥ח דָּוִ֖ד מִֽיִּזְרְעֶ֑אל וַתִּהְיֶ֛יןָ גַּֽם־שְׁתֵּיהֶ֥ן ל֖וֹ לְנָשִֽׁים׃ ס ‬

Followed David into exile

Ahinoam accompanied David to the land of the Philistines when he sought refuge with King Achish in Gath.

3David settled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household — David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow.
וַיֵּשֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית וַאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית׃ ‬

Captured by the Amalekites

While David and his men were away, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag and took Ahinoam and Abigail captive along with all the other women and children.

1When David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day, they found that the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had struck Ziklag and burned it down.
וַיְהִ֞י בְּבֹ֨א דָוִ֧ד וַאֲנָשָׁ֛יו צִֽקְלַ֖ג בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י וַעֲמָלֵקִ֣י פָֽשְׁט֗וּ אֶל־נֶ֙גֶב֙ וְאֶל־צִ֣קְלַ֔ג וַיַּכּוּ֙ אֶת־צִ֣קְלַ֔ג וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אֹתָ֖הּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ ‬
2They had taken captive the women who were there, young and old alike, but had killed no one; they drove them off and went on their way.
וַיִּשְׁבּ֨וּ אֶת־הַנָּשִׁ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ֙ מִקָּטֹ֣ן וְעַד־גָּד֔וֹל לֹ֥א הֵמִ֖יתוּ אִ֑ישׁ וַיִּֽנְהֲג֔וּ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ לְדַרְכָּֽם׃ ‬
3When David and his men came to the town, there it was, burned to the ground, and their wives, sons, and daughters taken captive.
וַיָּבֹ֨א דָוִ֤ד וַֽאֲנָשָׁיו֙ אֶל־הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּ֥ה שְׂרוּפָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּנְשֵׁיהֶ֛ם וּבְנֵיהֶ֥ם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶ֖ם נִשְׁבּֽוּ׃ ‬
5David's two wives had also been taken captive—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
וּשְׁתֵּ֥י נְשֵֽׁי־דָוִ֖ד נִשְׁבּ֑וּ אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵלִ֔ית וַאֲבִיגַ֕יִל אֵ֖שֶׁת נָבָ֥ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽי׃ ‬

Saved from the Amalekites

David pursued the Amalekites and rescued Ahinoam and Abigail, along with everything that had been taken. No one was missing, neither small nor great.

17David struck them down from dusk until the evening of the next day, and not one of them escaped except four hundred young men who mounted camels and fled.
וַיַּכֵּ֥ם דָּוִ֛ד מֵהַנֶּ֥שֶׁף וְעַד־הָעֶ֖רֶב לְמָֽחֳרָתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־נִמְלַ֤ט מֵהֶם֙ אִ֔ישׁ כִּי֩ אִם־אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת אִֽישׁ־נַ֛עַר אֲשֶׁר־רָכְב֥וּ עַל־הַגְּמַלִּ֖ים וַיָּנֻֽסוּ׃ ‬
18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.
וַיַּצֵּ֣ל דָּוִ֔ד אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָקְח֖וּ עֲמָלֵ֑ק וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֥י נָשָׁ֖יו הִצִּ֥יל דָּוִֽד׃ ‬
19Nothing was missing—young or old, sons or daughters, plunder or anything else they had carried off. David brought it all back.
וְלֹ֣א נֶעְדַּר־לָ֠הֶם מִן־הַקָּטֹ֨ן וְעַד־הַגָּד֜וֹל וְעַד־בָּנִ֤ים וּבָנוֹת֙ וּמִשָּׁלָ֔ל וְעַ֛ד כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָקְח֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם הַכֹּ֖ל הֵשִׁ֥יב דָּוִֽד׃ ‬

Mother of Amnon in Hebron

In Hebron, Ahinoam gave birth to Amnon, who became David's firstborn son. Amnon is listed first among the sons born to David in Hebron.

2Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
*וילדו **וַיִּוָּלְד֧וּ לְדָוִ֛ד בָּנִ֖ים בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיְהִ֤י בְכוֹרוֹ֙ אַמְנ֔וֹן לַאֲחִינֹ֖עַם הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִֽת׃ ‬

Mentioned in the genealogy in Chronicles

Ahinoam is mentioned as the mother of Amnon, David's firstborn, in the parallel genealogy in 1 Chronicles.

1These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel, by Abigail of Carmel;
וְאֵ֤לֶּה הָיוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י דָויִ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נֽוֹלַד־ל֖וֹ בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן הַבְּכ֣וֹר ׀ אַמְנֹ֗ן לַאֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית שֵׁנִי֙ דָּנִיֵּ֔אל לַאֲבִיגַ֖יִל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית׃ ‬

Mentioned in the Bible (7)