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Abimelech. [Abim'elech]


1. King of Gerar, who, believing Sarah to be Abraham's sister, took her into his harem, but being warned by God* he returned Sarah, calling Abraham her brother, as a rebuke. Gen. 20.

* A witness of God's rights in His people, Ps. 105: 14, 15, and that He will vindicate His faithfulness in His ways with them even when they are unfaithful.


2. A similar thing happened with Isaac and Rebecca under another king of the same name — the name being a title of the kings of the Philistines, as Pharaoh was that of the kings of Egypt. Gen. 26: 1-16.


3. Son of Gideon by a Shechemite concubine. He induced the men of Shechem to choose him as ruler and then slew 70 of his brethren. Jotham alone escaped, who pronounced a curse upon the murderers. This was fulfilled by many of the men of Shechem being killed, and Abimelech being mortally wounded by a piece of a millstone cast upon him by a woman at the attack upon Thebez. Judges 8: 31; Judges 9; 2 Sam. 11: 21.


4. Priest in the time of David, 1 Chr. 18: 16: also called AHIMELECH in 2 Sam. 8: 17. See ABIATHAR.