אֲבִימֶלֶךְ (H40) — Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִימֶלֶךְ

𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤌𐤋𐤊

Avimelekhe

H40 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אב,מלך father, king, to be father, to reign

Definition

A personal name meaning 'my father is king' or possibly 'father of a king.' Used for several individuals: notably Philistine rulers encountered by the patriarchs, and Israelite/Judahite figures, including a son of Gideon in Judges. The name carries royal and patriarchal associations, sometimes implying a dynastic or titular function, especially in foreign (Philistine) contexts. In Israelite contexts, the name can suggest familial claims to kingship.

Semantic Range

personal name, dynastic or royal title (especially for Philistine rulers), title for kingship, name associated with claim to rule or royal succession, used for Philistine rulers, Israelite and Judahite individuals

Root / Etymology

Compound formed from אָב (av, 'father') + מֶלֶךְ (melek, 'king'). The form /avî-/ reflects the possessive or construct state ('my father' or 'father of'). Lexical meaning derives from combining these elements, not strictly from the root meanings alone.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 20, 21, 26), 'Abimelech' designates Philistine rulers at Gerar, raising scholarly debate as to whether it was a personal name or a dynastic title akin to 'Pharaoh.' In Judges 8-9, Abimelech is a son of Gideon who asserts kingship by force. The etymology ('my father is king') may signal royal legitimacy or aspirational authority. English 'Abimelech' is a transliteration; translation traditions sometimes render the term misleadingly as simply 'king,' particularly in Psalm 34 (where the superscription refers to David acting before 'Abimelech,' though the narrative refers to 'Achish' of Gath). Later interpretive traditions, including some English Bibles, anachronistically conflate 'Abimelech' with later 'Jewish' identities, but in the biblical period the referents are Philistine and early Israelite/Judahite. The name's use by non-Israelites and Israelites highlights its role in expressing ties of authority, paternity, and kingship. The KJV and other translations preserve the name without capturing nuances of dynastic title versus personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָב and מֶלֶךְ; father of (the) king; Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two Israelites; Abimelech.

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Root Family

אב,מלך (ʾ-b, m-l-k) — father, king, to be father, to reign

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H40-01`	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King	53
`H40-05`	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	and Abimelech	and My-Father-is-King	5
`H40-03`	לַ/אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King	5
`H40-02`	בַּ/אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	baavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	against Abimelech	in My-Father-is-King	3
`H40-04`	מֵ/אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	meavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	from-Abimelech	from My-Father-is-King	1

Occurrences in Scripture

67 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:2	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:3	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-05`	Genesis 20:4	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	But Abimelech	and My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:8	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:9	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:10	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:14	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:15	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:17	אֲבִימֶ֧לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 20:18	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	of Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:22	אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:25	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:25	אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	avimelekhe-2	`HNp`	of Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:26	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-03`	Genesis 21:27	לַ/אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:29	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 21:32	אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:1	אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:8	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:9	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:10	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:11	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Genesis 26:16	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-05`	Genesis 26:26	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	went	and My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 8:31	אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:1	אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:3	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:4	אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:6	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:16	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:18	אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-02`	Judges 9:19	בַּ/אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	baavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	in-Abimelech	in My-Father-is-King
`H40-04`	Judges 9:20	מֵ/אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	meavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	from-Abimelech	from My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:20	אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:21	אֲבִימֶ֥לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:22	אֲבִימֶ֛לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:23	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-02`	Judges 9:23	בַּ/אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	baavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	with Abimelech	in My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:24	אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-03`	Judges 9:25	לַ/אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:27	אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:28	אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	is Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:29	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-03`	Judges 9:29	לַ/אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:31	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:34	אֲבִימֶ֛לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:35	אֲבִימֶ֛לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:38	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	is Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-02`	Judges 9:39	בַּ/אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	baavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	against Abimelech	in My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:40	אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:41	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-03`	Judges 9:42	לַ/אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King
`H40-05`	Judges 9:44	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	And Abimelech	and My-Father-is-King
`H40-05`	Judges 9:45	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	and Abimelech	and My-Father-is-King
`H40-03`	Judges 9:47	לַ/אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	laavimelekhe	`HR/Np`	to Abimelech	to My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:48	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:48	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ	avimelekhe-2	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:49	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:50	אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:52	אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:53	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech’s	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:55	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 9:56	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	of Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Judges 10:1	אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	2 Samuel 11:21	אֲבִימֶ֣לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-01`	Psalms 34:1	אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ	avimelekhe	`HNp`	Abimelech	My-Father-is-King
`H40-05`	1 Chronicles 18:16	וַ/אֲבִימֶ֥לֶךְ	vaavimelekhe	`HC/Np`	and Abimelech	and My-Father-is-King

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