'''Abimelech''' or '''Avimelech''' ({{Hebrew Name 2|אֲבִימֶלֶךְ|אֲבִימָלֶךְ|Aviméleḫ|Avimáleḫ|ʼĂḇîméleḵ|ʼĂḇîmāleḵ|"father/leader of a king; my father/leader, a king"}}) was a common name of the [[Philistine]] [[monarch|kings]], much as "[[Pharaoh]]" was of the [[ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] kings.
#The name of a king of Gerar which is mentioned in two of the three stories of [[a wife confused for a sister]]. The [[Haggada]] identifies them as separate people, the second being the first Abimelech's son, and that his original name was Benmelech (son of the King) but changed his name to his father's, which clearly evidences that the name means "my father is the king".
#[[Abimelech (Judges)]], a son of [[Gideon (Judges)|Gideon]] ([[book of Judges]] 9:1), who was proclaimed king after the death of his father ([[Book of Judges|Judges ]] 8:33-9:6).
#The son of [[Abiathar]], and high priest in the time of [[David(biblical king)|David]] ([[1 Chronicles]] 18:16). In the parallel passage, [[2 Samuel]] 8:17, we have the name Ahimelech, and Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. This most authorities consider the more correct reading.
#The king of [[Gath (city)|Gath]], better known as [[Achish]], as it appears in the title of [[Psalm]] 34. He's also referred to as [[Achimelech]] (See also [[Books of Samuel|1 Samuel]] 21:10-15.)

==Abimelech's name==
Abimelech's name has three main translations, though none treats the name as being completely Hebrew, and all are slightly contorted. The first is ''my father is king'', which could be considered simply as a generic title given to a crown prince. This is supported in the Haggada when "Benmelech" son of Abimelech changes his name to Abimelech when he becomes king. The other two are more interesting, both essentially being ''my father is MLK'', with [[Moloch|MLK]] being the reference found elsewhere in the Bible in prohibitions such as ''do not pass your children through the fire to MLK'', in which case one of the two following possibilities arises
*Either MLK refers to a major Canaanite deity probably named ''Moloch'', i.e. ''Abimelech'' being ''my father is Moloch'' - a reference to belief in semi-divine kings, such as Abimelech
*Or MLK refers to a type of (probably human) sacrifice probably named ''Molk'', i.e. ''Abimelech'' being roughly ''my father is a sacrifice'' - a reference to Abimelech being pious

{{eastons}}

Akin to Arabic Abi Malek or Abu Malik or Aba Malek

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[[Category:Hebrew Bible people]]
[[Category:Monarchs of the Hebrew Bible]]
[[Category:Torah monarchs]]

[[el:Αβιμέλεχ]]
[[es:Abimelec]]
[[fr:Abimelech]]
[[he:אבימלך]]
[[it:Abimelech]]