Ahimelech

Ahimelech (Hebrew: אֲחִימֶלֶך ʾĂḥīmeleḵ, "my brother is king"/"brother of a king")^[1] was an Israelite priest and served as the grand priest of the town of Nob. In the Book of Samuel, he was described as the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar (1 Samuel 22:20–23), but described as the son of Abiathar in 2 Samuel 8:17 and in four places in 1 Chronicles.^[1] He descended from Aaron's son Ithamar and the High Priest of Israel Eli. In 1 Chronicles 18:16 his name is Abimelech according to the Masoretic Text,^[1] and is probably the same as Ahiah (1 Samuel 14:3, 18).

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Relation to David

He was the twelfth High Priest^{[citation needed]}, and officiated at Nob, where he was visited by David (he gave David and his companions five loaves of the showbread) when David fled from Saul (1 Samuel 21:1–9). He was summoned into Saul's presence, and accused of disloyalty for assisting David, on the information of Doeg the Edomite. Then the king commanded that he, with the other priests who stood beside him, 86 in all, should be slain with his family. This sentence was carried into execution by Doeg in a cruel manner (1 Samuel 22:9–23). Possibly Abiathar had a son also called Ahimelech, or the two names, as some think, may have been accidentally transposed in 2 Samuel 8:17; 1 Chronicles 18:16, marg.; 24:3, 6, 31.

Interpretation

Ahimelech's death was seen as a partial fulfilment of the curse on the House of Eli – that none of Eli's male descendants would live to old age; the other part of the curse on the House of Eli – that the priesthood would pass out of his descendants (1 Samuel 2:27–36)– was fulfilled when Abiathar was deposed from the office of High Priest. Rabbinical literature linked the extermination of the male descendants of David with the extermination of the priests of Nob by Saul - deeming it divine retribution because David's action had provoked Saul's outburst - and also linked the survival of David's descendant Joash with that of Ahimelech's son Abiathar.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Ahimelech", Encyclopedia Biblica
^ Sanh. 95b.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Ahimelech". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.

External links

Media related to Achimelech at Wikimedia Commons

Israelite religious titles
Preceded by Ahijah	High Priest of Israel	Succeeded by Abiathar

v t e High Priests of Israel (List)
Tabernacle	Aaron Eleazar Phinehas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Eli Ahitub Ahijah Ahimelech Abiathar
First Temple	Zadok Ahimaaz Azariah I Joash Jehoiarib Jehoshaphat Jehoiada Pediah Zedekiah Joel Jotham Uriah Neria Hoshaiah Shallum Hilkiah Azariah II Seraiah
Post-exilic	Joshua Joiakim Eliashib Joiada Johanan Jaddua Onias I Simon I Eleazar Manasseh Onias II Simon II Onias III Jason Menelaus Onias IV Alcimus
Hasmonean dynasty	Jonathan Apphus Simon Thassi Hyrcanus I Aristobulus I Alexander Jannaeus Hyrcanus II Aristobulus II Antigonus
Herodians to the Jewish Revolt	Ananelus Aristobulus III Ananelus (restored) Jesus, son of Fabus Simon ben Boethus Matthias ben Theophilus Joazar ben Boethus Eleazar ben Boethus Joshua ben Sie Joazar ben Boethus (restored) Annas Ishmael ben Fabus Eleazar ben Ananus Simon ben Camithus Caiaphas Jonathan ben Ananus Theophilus ben Ananus Simon Cantatheras ben Boethus Matthias ben Ananus Elioneus ben Simon Cantatheras Jonathan ben Ananus (restored) Josephus ben Camydus Ananias son of Nedebeus Jonathan Ishmael ben Fabus Joseph Cabi ben Simon Ananus ben Ananus Jesus son of Damneus Joshua ben Gamla Mattathias ben Theophilus Phannias ben Samuel

This page was last edited on 3 February 2024, at 18:48

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