Metaphysical meaning of Ichabod (mbd)
Ichabod, ich-a-bod (Heb.)--where is honor?; glory is departed; nonglorious; inglorious; impoverished. Chabod (without the prefix where ? where is ? non, not, in) means abundance, substance, riches, wealth, honor, glory, splendor, majesty, all of which are interrelated and can be used as definitions.
Son of Phinehas, Eli's son. "And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband" (I Sam. 4:21). In the margin the meaning of Ichabod is given as, "There is no glory."
Meta. The sense of defeat, of ignominy, that comes over man when he becomes aware of the fact that he has let his awakening faculties, which are in reality spiritual, be influenced by the selfishness of the personal man to the extent that he has seemingly lost out spiritually, for a time at least. The soul (mother of Ichabod, in despair over the death of her husband, and of her father-in-law, Eli the high-priest, and over the taking of the Ark of God by the Philistines) brings forth this inglorious one, Ichabod, and then dies, This seems to infer a breaking up of the whole consciousness. For further light on the matter see ELI, PHINEHAS, and the Ark of the Covenant, under ARK.
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Preceding Entry: Ibzan
Following Entry: Iconium
