Abimelech
(father of the king), the name of several Philistine kings, was probably a common title of these kings, like that of Pharaoh among the Egyptians and that of Caesar and Augustus among the Romans. Hence in the title of (Psalms 34:1) ... the name of Abimelech is given to the king, who is called Achish in (1 Samuel 21:11)
A Philistine, king of Gerar, Genesis 20,21, who, exercising the right claimed by Eastern princes of collecting all the beautiful women of their dominions into their harem, (Genesis 12:15; Esther 2:3) sent for and took Sarah. A similar account is given of Abraham’s conduct of this occasion to that of his behavior towards Pharaoh. [Abraham] (B.C. 1920.) Another king of Gerar int he time of Isaac, of whom a similar narrative is recorded in relation to Rebekah. (Genesis 26:1) etc. (B.C. 1817.)
Son of the judge Gideon by his Shechemite concubine. (Judges 8:31) (B.C. 1322-1319.) After his father’s death he murdered all his brethren, 70 in number, with the exception of Jotham, the youngest, who concealed himself; and he then persuaded the Shechemites to elect him king. Shechem now became an independent state. After Abimelech had reigned three years, the citizens of Shechem rebelled. He was absent at the time, but he returned and quelled the insurrection.
Shortly after he stormed and took Thebez, but was struck on the head by a woman with the fragment of a millstone, comp. (2 Samuel 11:21) and lest he should be said to have died by a woman, he bade his armor-bearer slay him. A son of Abiathar. (1 Chronicles 18:16)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Abimelech
Abimelech a-bim'-e-lek ('abhimelekh, "father of a king"): A name borne by five Old Testament persons. ⇒See a list of verses on ABIMELECH in the Bible. (1) The name of two kings of Philistia; the first was a contemporary of Abraham, the second, probably son of the former, was king in the days of Isaac. It is quite possible that Abimelech was the royal title rather than the personal name, since in the title of Ps 34:1-22 we find it applied to the king of Gath, elsewhere known by his personal name, Achish (1Sa 27:2-3). Shortly after the destruction of Sodom Abraham journeyed with his herds and flocks into the extreme Southeast country of Palestine (Ge 20:1-18). While sojourning at Gerar, the city of Abimelech, king of the Philistine country, he made believe that Sarah was his sister (Ge 20:2), and Abimelech took her, intending to make her one of his wives. But God rebuked him in a dream, besides sending barrenness on the women of his household (Ge 20:3,17). After Abimelech had reproved Abraham most justly for the deception, he dealt generously with him, loading him with presents and gra…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Abimelech
1, A king of Gerar mentioned in con- nexion with the history of Abraham, Gn 20'"" 21»-'«(both E), and of Isaac, Gn 26'-"-«-*' (both J). With all their i)oints of dilference, it appears im- possible to resist the conclusion that we have in J and E two variants of the same story. In both the patriarch re.sorts to the same method of defence to rotect himself from the same danger (20'' '20') ; in th A. is righteously indignant at the deceit practised upon him (2U"''- 26'") ; in both a treaty is entered into with A. (21^'- 2(i-="); in both Phicol (012-^ .2(jai) „nd IJeersheba(21''2 2G'»)are mentioned. In all i)robability J has preserved the earlier form of the tradition, ace. to which Isaac, and not Abraham, was the patriarch concerned. The parallel story in Gn 12"'''^ (where Pharaoh of Egypt takes the place of A. of Gerar) is also from a Jalnvistic source, but scarcely from the saina pen as 2t)'"". If the title .J' be adopted for the latter, we may designate the other J^, whether we accept or not of Kuenen's theory that he edited a Judiean recension of J . LiTRRATCRK. — Comm. of Dillm. a…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Abimelech
("father of a king", or "father king".) A common title of many Philistine kings, as Pharaoh of the Egyptians, and Caesar and Augustus of the Roman: Padishah (father king) is similarly a title of the Persian king. 1. Hence, we find Achish called Abimelech in the title of Psalm 34, which explains the seeming discrepancy of name in 1Sa 21:11. 2. Gen 20:1, 1898 B.C.; Hales, 2054 B.C.: the king of Gerar. Abimelech's taking Sarah into his harem shows that in those times kings claimed the odious despotic right of taking unmarried females, whether subjects or sojourners; compare Gen 12:15; Est 2:3. A divine warning that death would be the penalty of keeping her, but that Abraham's intercession as a prophet would follow the restoring of her, led him to give her back with a present of a thousand pieces of silver (131 British pounds). With delicate sarcasm (in the English KJV) he reproved Abraham's deception. Rather, as Keil and Delitzsch, instead of "he," translate "this is to thee a covering of the eyes (i.e. an expiatory gift) with regard to all that are with thee" (because in a mistress the…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia