The meaning of “Abimelech”

1. Abimelech — my father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as “Pharaoh” was of the Egyptian kings. (1.) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham (Gen. 20:1-18). By an interposition of Providence, Sarah was delivered from his harem, and was restored to her husband Abraham. As a mark of respect he gave to Abraham valuable gifts, and offered him a settlement in any part of his country; while at the same time he delicately and yet severely rebuked him for having practised a deception upon him in pretending that Sarah was only his sister. Among the gifts presented by the king were a thousand pieces of silver as a “covering of the eyes” for Sarah; i.e., either as an atoning gift and a testimony of her innocence in the sight of all, or rather for the purpose of procuring a veil for Sarah to conceal her beauty, and thus as a reproof to her for not having worn a veil which, as a married woman, she ought to have done. A few years after this Abimelech visited Abraham, who had removed southward beyond his territory, and there entered into a league of peace and friendship with him. This league was the first of which we have any record. It was confirmed by a mutual oath at Beer-sheba (Gen. 21:22-34). (2.) A king of Gerar in the time of Isaac, probably the son of the preceeding (Gen. 26:1-22). Isaac sought refuge in his territory during a famine, and there he acted a part with reference to his wife Rebekah similar to that of his father Abraham with reference to Sarah. Abimelech rebuked him for the deception, which he accidentally discovered. Isaac settled for a while here, and prospered. Abimelech desired him, however, to leave his territory, which Isaac did. Abimelech afterwards visited him when he was encamped at Beer-sheba, and expressed a desire to renew the covenant which had been entered into between their fathers (Gen. 26:26-31). (3.) A son of Gideon (Judg. 9:1), who was proclaimed king after the death of his father (Judg. 8:33-9:6). One of his first acts was to murder his brothers, seventy in number, “on one stone,” at Ophrah. Only one named Jotham escaped. He was an unprincipled, ambitious ruler, often engaged in war with his own subjects. When engaged in reducing the town of Thebez, which had revolted, he was struck mortally on his head by a mill-stone, thrown by the hand of a woman from the wall above. Perceiving that the wound was mortal, he desired his armour-bearer to thrust him through with his sword, that it might not be said he had perished by the hand of a woman (Judg. 9:50-57). (4.) The son of Abiathar, and high priest in the time of David (1 Chr. 18:16). In the parallel passage, 2 Sam. 8:17, we have the name Ahimelech, and Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. This most authorities consider the more correct reading. (5.) Achish, king of Gath, in the title of Ps. 34. (Comp. 1 Sam. 21:10-15.)

1 result from Easton's Bible Dictionary

You may wish to look at these similar words...
Abimael Abimelech

Bible Search for “Abimelech”

1. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 18 — For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

2. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 17 — So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

3. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 15 — And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

4. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 14 — And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

5. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 10 — And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

6. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 9 — Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

7. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 8 — Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

8. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 4 — But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

9. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 3 — But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

10. Genesis Chapter 20 Verse 2 — And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

11. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 32 — Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

12. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 29 — And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?

13. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 27 — And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

14. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 26 — And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

15. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 25 — And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

16. Genesis Chapter 21 Verse 22 — And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:

17. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 26 — Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

18. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 16 — And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

19. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 11 — And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

20. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 10 — And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

21. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 9 — And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

22. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 8 — And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

23. Genesis Chapter 26 Verse 1 — And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

24. Judges Chapter 8 Verse 31 — And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

25. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 47 — And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

26. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 45 — And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

27. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 44 — And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

28. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 42 — And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

29. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 41 — And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

30. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 40 — And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

31. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 39 — And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

32. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 38 — Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

33. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 35 — And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.

34. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 34 — And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

35. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 31 — And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

36. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 29 — And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.

37. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 28 — And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

38. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 27 — And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

39. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 25 — And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

40. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 24 — That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

41. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 23 — Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

42. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 22 — When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

43. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 21 — And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

44. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 20 — But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

45. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 19 — If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

46. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 18 — And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

47. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 16 — Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

48. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 6 — And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

49. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 4 — And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

50. Judges Chapter 9 Verse 3 — And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

50 results from Bible Search