Arbathite

Arbathite is a gentillic designation meaning “a native of the Arabah” or, more specifically, a native of Beth-arabah, one of the towns in the Judean wilderness near the northern end of the Dead Sea (Josh. 15:61). The title appears in the lists of David's mighty men, applied to Abi-albon (also called Abiel in 1 Chr. 11:32), who served among David's elite warriors known as the Thirty (2 Sam. 23:31; 1 Chr. 11:32).

Beth-arabah lay in the desolate Jordan rift valley, assigned to both Judah (Josh. 15:6, 61) and Benjamin (Josh. 18:22) in the tribal allotments, reflecting its position on the boundary between the two tribes. Warriors identified by their place of origin in the military records of David's reign reflect the practice of recruiting men from across the tribal territories, with even the arid desert regions of the Arabah contributing to the royal military establishment.