Ahimelech

Group of statues David accepts the showbread from the high priest in the ballroom of the Hradisko monastery in Olomouc , 1734

Ahimelech ( Hebrew אֲחִימֶלֶךְ) is a person from the Tanakh . The name means something like "my brother is king".

According to the story in 1 Sam 21f  EU , Ahimelech is the priest of Nob, whom David came to on the flight from Saul . Ahimelech gives David of the showbreads as food and presents him with the sword of Goliath , whom David had killed years earlier. Doeg , an Edomite who was appointed lord of the shepherds by Saul, reveals this to King Saul. Saul then interrogates Ahimelech and wants to have him killed. However, since his men refuse to murder a priest of YHWH , the Edomite Doeg finally commits this act. In addition, Saul takes his revenge on the whole city of Nob. Only Abjatar , a son of Ahimelech, can escape.

On the episode in 1. Sam 21f. also refers to the heading of Ps 52  EU . In the New Testament reminds Jesus David's experience with Abimelech ( Mt 12,3f  EU par Mk 2,25f;. Luk 6,3f).

Web links

Commons : Achimelech  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Joachim Vette:  Ahimelech. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (Eds.): The Scientific Biblical Lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The scientific Bible lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex) , accessed on July 20, 2017.