Person Old Testament
Barzillai
Barzillai the Gileadite supplied provisions to David during his flight from Absalom and was later honored by the king. Mentioned in 9 verses across 4 books, first at 2 Samuel 17:27.
Why it matters. A Gileadite who provided for David during Absalom's rebellion.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Barzillai
Barzillai was a wealthy Gileadite from Rogelim who provided essential support to King David during his flight from his son Absalom's rebellion (2Sa.17.27-29). Along with others, Barzillai generously supplied food and provisions for David and his men. After Absalom's defeat, when David returned to Jerusalem, Barzillai accompanied him to the Jordan River (2Sa.19.31-39). Due to his advanced age of eighty, Barzillai declined David's invitation to join him in Jerusalem, but he sent his son Chimham in his place. David blessed Barzillai and promised to show kindness to his family. Later, on his deathbed, David instructed Solomon to show favor to Barzillai's descendants (1Ki.2.7). Barzillai's loyalty and generosity during David's time of need were remembered and honored by the king. In Ezr.2.61 and Neh.7.63, a priestly family is mentioned who traced their lineage to Barzillai, indicating the enduring impact of his devotion to David.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 9 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.