---
title: אֲחִימֶלֶךְ — Ahimelech · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אֲחִימֶלֶךְ (288), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: Ahimelech. BDB 1906: n.pr.m. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אֲחִימֶלֶךְ

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«אֲחִימֶלֶךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **Ahimelech** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 17 times · **Key:** 288 · **BDB:** אֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ

### Glosses

Ahimelech (13); of.Ahimelech (3); O.Ahimelech (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

Ahimelech [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/288/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.pr.m. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/288/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.pr.m. (brother of Melek, Ph. חמלך, חמלכת; v. also אחיהו supr.) priest in Saul’s (Dvd’s) time 1 S 21:2(×2), 3, 9; 22:14, 16 (אֲחִימֶ֑לֶךְ) 1 Ch 24:31 ψ 52:2 (title); son of Ahitub 1 S 22:9, 11, (cf. 12), 20; father of Abiathar 1 S 23:6; 30:7; so also 2 S 8:17 𝔖 Ew We Th Dr; where MT אחימ׳ בן־אביתר; whence id. wrongly 1 Ch 24:6, cf. v 4 (אֲח׳ מִבְּנֵי אִיתָמָר) \& 18:16 (where read אֲח׳ for אֲב׳). a Hittite 1 S 26:6.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 15 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 0 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אֲחִימֶלֶךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/288/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[2 Samuel 8:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.8.17/)

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וְצָד֧וֹק בֶּן־אֲחִיט֛וּב וַאֲחִימֶ֥לֶךְ בֶּן־אֶבְיָתָ֖ר כֹּהֲנִ֑ים וּשְׂרָיָ֖ה סוֹפֵֽר׃

*Word for word:* and Zadok the.son of.Ahitub and Ahimelech the.son of.Abiathar \[were\].priests and Seraiah \[was\].secretary

*JPS 1917:* and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe;

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[1 Samuel 22:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.22.16/)

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ מ֥וֹת תָּמ֖וּת אֲחִימֶ֑לֶךְ אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיךָ׃

*Word for word:* and he.said the king surely.(die) you.will.die O.Ahimelech you and all the.house your.father your

*JPS 1917:* And the king said: 'Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.'

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