Bible Dictionaries
Abimelech

Morrish 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. Genesis 20 .

* A witness of God's rights in His people, Psalm 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. Genesis 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 Samuel 11:21 .

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

Bibliography Information
Morrish, George. Entry for 'Abimelech'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​mbd/​a/abimelech.html. 1897.