Ahimelech

For other people named Ahimelech, see Achimelech.

Statuary David receives sacral bread from the priest Ahimelech in Ceremoniall Hall in Hradisko Monastery in Olomouc (Czech Republic) created by Josef A. Winterhalder in 1734.

Ahimelech giving the sword of Goliath to David, by Aert de Gelder.

Ahimelech (Hebrew: אחימלך "the [divine] king is brother"),^[1] the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar (1 Sam. 22:20-23), described in 2 Sam. 8:17 as the son of Abiathar and in four places in 1 Chronicles.^[1] He descended from Aaron's son Ithamar and the high priest Eli. In 1 Chr. 18:16 his name is Abimelech according to the Masoretic Text,^[1] and is probably the same as Ahiah (1 Sam. 14:3, 18). He was the twelfth High Priest, and officiated at Nob, where he was visited by David (to whom and his companions he gave five loaves of the showbread) when David fled from Saul (1 Sam. 21:1-9). He was summoned into Saul's presence, and accused, on the information of Doeg the Edomite, of disloyalty because of his kindness to David; whereupon 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 the most cruel manner (1 Sam. 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 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chr. 18:16, marg.; 24:3, 6, 31.

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 – 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]

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

High Priests of Israel (List)

Tabernacle	Aaron Eleazar Phinehas Abishua Bukki Uzzi Eli Ahitub Ahijah Ahimelech Abiathar

First Temple	Zadok Ahimaaz Azariah I Johanan Jehoiarib Jehoshaphat Jehoiada Pediah Zedekiah Azariah II Hilkiah

Post-exilic	Joshua Joiakim Eliashib Joiada Johanan Jaddua Onias I Simon I Simeon the Just 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 Joshua ben Fabus Simon ben Boethus Joazar ben Boethus Eleazar ben Boethus Annas Caiaphas Theophilus ben Ananus Simon Cantatheras ben Boethus Elioneus ben Simon Cantatheras Ananias ben Nebedeus Joseph Cabi ben Simon Ananus ben Ananus Joshua ben Damneus Joshua ben Gamaliel Mattathias ben Theophilus Phannias ben Samuel

References

1 2 3 "Ahimelech", Encyclopedia Biblica
↑ Sanh. 95b.

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

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