Abimelech

Abimelech (Hebrew אֲבִימֶלֶךְ "My father is king" ) is the name of several biblical persons:

Judge of Israel

  • Othniel son of Kenaz
  • Ehud, son of Gera
  • Shamgar, son of Anath
  • Debora
  • Barak, son of Abinoam
  • Gideon
  • Abimelech
  • Tola
  • Jair
  • Jephthah
  • Ibzan of Bethlehem
  • Elon
  • Abdon son of Hillel
  • Simson, son of Manoah

1 Samuel

  • Eli
  • Samuel

Abimelech called in Ri 9.1 EU as the son of Jerubbaal. This name was the judge Gideon added ( Ri 6.32 EU). In addition, both are related to the location of Ofra in the tribal territory of Manasseh in conjunction. After Ri 8.31 EU he actually appears as the son of Gideon. His mother, a concubine of Gideon, the aristocracy of the ( Canaanite ) city of Shechem seems to originate (Ri 9.1 f EU). The only way is to explain that Abimelech is heard there.

Importance and career

The Hebrew Bible mentions as the first Abimelech, who attempted to establish a monarchy in Israel on the Richter principle beyond. The attempt failed after a few years, and it included only very limited parts of Israel, so that only Saul is referred to as the first king of Israel.

First, it succeeded Abimelech, the oligarchy in the city-state of Shechem to persuade them to accept him as a military leader. Equipped with money from the temple treasury of the Baal - Berit ( " Baal of the covenant", city god of Shechem ) (Ri 9.4 EU), he hired a mercenary force to, with whose help he Ofra, the place of origin of his father fell, and the leading family, his own family, destroyed. In fact, he took over monarchical rule over the place. The population of Shechem did not hesitate to acknowledge him as their king. The procedure may be considered not new: To change from oligarchy to monarchy occurred in the Canaanite city-states ( and in many other cultures ) again and again. As criticism of the monarchy the Jotamfabel is woven into the book of Judges at this point.

One can assume that Abimelech incorporated by fighting other small areas of his empire. At the height of his power, he seems to have his residence from Shechem after Arumah ( cf. Ri 9.41 EU) laid. It came in Shechem in the subsequent period to open rebellion, which was a leader in the newly arrived Gaal. Warned by the loyal Zebul (Ri 9.30 f EU), grabbed Abimelech to its original power base and destroyed them.

At the siege of the castle of Thebez him a woman throwing a millstone on her head. Abimelech does not want to remain as ruler in memory, who was slain by a woman, he asks his armor bearer to grant him the coup de grace.

King of Gerar

In the Abraham narrative Gen 20-21 EU is Abimelech king of Gerar. The parallel story to Isaac (Gen 26 EU ) calls him beyond " king of the Philistines ." Both patriarchs come because of a famine in his territory and give their wives than their sisters. Abimelech recognizes this lie - in the case of Abraham through a divine dream vision - and proves to be contrary to expectations as extremely generous to the fugitive. With two fathers closes Abimelech made ​​a covenant (Gen 21:27 and Gen 26:28 EU EU). The story culminates in the establishment of some wells by Isaac, whose main receives the Hebrew name "seven" or " oath " to which the name of the place Beersheba tradition goes back ( "well of the oath ").

High Priest

After a few texts of the Tanakh was Abimelech, the son of Abiathar the high priest at the time of King David ( 1 Chronicles 18:16 LUT; 2 Sam 8:17 LUT). In the newer translations of the Bible, the name corresponding to 1 Sam 22,20 EU 23.6 EU 30.7 EU has been corrected in Ahimelech.

The contemporary Arab name Abumuaileq

The name Abimelech was in the course of time over Abumelek (Arabic / أبي مالك "My father is king" ) to Abumuaileq (Arabic / ابومعيلق ) converted.

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