Agabus
Ag'abus (῎Αγαβος; either from the Heb. חָגָב, a locust [which even occurs as a proper name, Ezr 2:46], or עִָגב, to love; Simon. Onom. N.T. 15, and Wolf, Cur. 2, 1167), the name of "a prophet," supposed to have been one of the seventy disciples of Christ (Walch, De Agabo Vate, Jen. 1757, and in his Diss. ad Act. Ap. 2, 131 sq.). He, with others, came from Judaea to Antioch, while Paul and Barnabas (A.D. 43) were there, and announced an approaching famine, which actually occurred the following year (Ac 11:27-28). Some writers suppose that the famine was general; but most modern commentators unite in understanding that the large terms of the original (ὄλην τὴν οἰκουμένην) apply not to the whole world, nor even to the whole Roman empire, but, as in Lu 2:1, to Judaea only. Statements respecting four famines, which occurred in the reign of Claudius (Oros. 7:6; Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 2, 8; Chron. Arm. 2, 269), are produced by the commentators who support this view (Wesseling, Observ. 1, 9, p. 28); and as all the countries put together would not make up a tenth part of even the Roman empire, they think it plain that the words must be understood to apply to that famine which, in the fourth year of Claudius (Suetonius, Claud. 18), overspread Palestine (see Kuinol, Comment. in loc.). The poor Jews, in general, were then relieved by the queen of Adiabene, who sent to purchase corn in Egypt for them (Josephus, Ant. 20, 2, 6; 5, 2); and for the relief of the Christians in that country contributions were raised by the brethren at Antioch, and conveyed to Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas (Ac 11:29-30). Many years after, this same Agabus met Paul at Caesarea, and warned him of the sufferings which awaited him if he prosecuted his journey to Jerusalem (Ac 21:10-12), A.D. 55. (See Conybeare and Howson's St. Paul, 1, 127; 2, 233; Baumgarten, Apostelgeschichte, 1, 270 sq.; 2, 113.) The Greek Church assert that he suffered martyrdom at Antioch, and hold his festival on the 6th of March (Eichhorn, Bibl. d. bibl. Lit. 1, 22, 23; 6, 20).
