Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
(father of a king). (1) A line of Philistine kings, like the Pharaohs and Caesars. Kings of Gerar (Gen. 20; 21; 26:1). (2) Son of Gideon by his concubine of Shechem (Judg. 8:31; 9:57; 2 Sam. 11:21). (3) Son of Abiathar, in David’s time (1 Chron. 18:16). (4) Written for the Achish (1 Sam. 21:10), in title to Psa. 34.
Concise Bible Dictionary:
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).
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. (See Judg. 8:31; 9; 2 Sam. 11:21).
4. Priest in the time of David (1 Chron. 18:16): also called AHIMELECH in 2 Samuel 8:17. See ABIATHAR.
Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:
Transliteration:
’Abiymelek
Meaning:
from 1 and 4428; father of (the) king; Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two Israelites
Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:
my father is king
Potts’ Bible Proper Names:
The king is my father:― name of two Philistine kings and of two Israelites, Gen. 20:2. {Pater rex est}
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