Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
My father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as “Pharaoh” was of the Egyptian kings. ) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham (Gen. 20:1-18). By an interposition of Providence, Sarah was delivered from his harem, and was restored to her husband Abraham. As a mark of respect he gave to Abraham valuable gifts, and offered him a settlement in any part of his country; while at the same time he delicately and yet severely rebuked him for having practised a deception upon him in pretending that Sarah was only his sister.
, either as an atoning gift and a testimony of her innocence in the sight of all, or rather for the purpose of procuring a veil for Sarah to conceal her beauty, and thus as a reproof to her for not having worn a veil which, as a married woman, she ought to have done. A few years after this Abimelech visited Abraham, who had removed southward beyond his territory, and there entered into a league of peace and friendship with him. This league was the first of which we have any record. It was confirmed by a mutual oath at Beer-sheba (Gen. 21:22-34).
) A king of Gerar in the time of Isaac, probably the son of the preceeding (Gen. 26:1-22). Isaac sought refuge in his territory during a famine, and there he acted a part with reference to his wife Rebekah similar to that of his father Abraham with reference to Sarah. Abimelech rebuked him for the deception, which he accidentally discovered. Isaac settled for a while here, and prospered. Abimelech desired him, however, to leave his territory, which Isaac did.
Abimelech afterwards visited him when he was encamped at Beer-sheba, and expressed a desire to renew the covenant which had been entered into between their fathers (Gen. 26:26-31). ) A son of Gideon (Judg. 9:1), who was proclaimed king after the death of his father (Judg. 8:33-9:6). One of his first acts was to murder his brothers, seventy in number, “on one stone,” at Ophrah. Only one named Jotham escaped. He was an unprincipled, ambitious ruler, often engaged in war with his own subjects.
When engaged in reducing the town of Thebez, which had revolted, he was struck mortally on his head by a mill-stone, thrown by the hand of a woman from the wall above. Perceiving that the wound was mortal, he desired his armour-bearer to thrust him through with his sword, that it might not be said he had perished by the hand of a woman (Judg. 9:50-57). ) The son of Abiathar, and high priest in the time of David (1 Chr. 18:16). In the parallel passage, 2 Sam. 8:17, we have the name Ahimelech, and Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. This most authorities consider the more correct reading.
) Achish, king of Gath, in the title of Ps. 34. (Comp.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)
(father of the king), the name of several Philistine kings, was probably a common title of these kings, like that of Pharaoh among the Egyptians and that of Caesar and Augustus among the Romans. Hence in the title of (Psalms 34:1) ...
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898) & Schaff's Bible Dictionary
ABIM'ELECH (father of the king). (1). A king of the Philistines at Gerar. Gen 20:2. Being deceived by Abraham, he took Sarah, Abraham's wife, to be his wife. God warned him, however, in a dream of Sarah's relation to Abraham, and thus withheld him from the commission of sin, because he did it in ignorance. Gen 20:6. Abimelech, having rebuked Abraham, restored Sarah to him with many gifts, and offered him a dwelling-place in any part of the land. God afterward remitted the punishment of the family of Abimelech. (2).
At a subsequent period, Abimelech, a successor of the preceding, was deceived in like manner by Isaac, respecting his wife Rebekah, while they dwelt in Gerar during a time of famine in Canaan. Gen 26. (3). A son of Gideon, who, after the death of his father, persuaded the men of Shechem to make him king. Jud 8:31; Jud 9:18. He afterward put to death seventy of his brothers who dwelt in his father's house at Ophrah, leaving only Jotham, the youngest, alive.
On learning of his exaltation to the kingship of the Shechemites, who had formed themselves into an independent state, Jotham told them the fable of the trees, Jud 9:7, etc., which is the oldest fable extant. The Shechemites in the third year of his reign rebelled against him during his absence, but he put the revolt down on his return. Shortly afterward, while storming the fortress of Thebez, he was mortally wounded by a piece of a millstone thrown upon his head by a woman from the top of a tower.
That it might not be said a woman slew him, he called to his armor-bearer to stab him with his sword, and thus he died. Jud 9:54-57. (4). A son of Abiathar. 1 Chr 18:16. (5). The name given to Achish in the title of Ps 34.
Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869)
father of the king