---
title: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ — Abimelech · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ (40), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 67 times: Abimelech. BDB 1906: n.pr.m. n.pr.f. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אֲבִימֶלֶךְ

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«אֲבִימֶלֶךְ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **Abimelech** — 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:** 67 times · **Key:** 40 · **BDB:** אֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ

### Glosses

Abimelech (61); of.Abimelech (4); \[is\].Abimelech (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

Abimelech [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/40/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.pr.m. n.pr.f. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/40/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.pr.m. (Melek (= Malik, Molech) is father)—אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ Gn 20:18 +— king of Gerar Gn 20:2, 3, 4 +, 21:22, 25(×2) +, 26:1, 8 (24 times Gn). king of Gath ψ 34:1 error for אָכִישׁ, cf. 1 S 21:11f;—a better known Philist. name substituted for a less known (Hup3). \> Others (Thes Ol De MV) think a title of Philist. kings, cf. Pharaoh. son of Gideon Ju 8:31; 9:1, 3, 4 +, 10:1 (40 times Ju), 2 S 11:21. priest, son of Abiathar 1 Ch 18:16 error for אֲחִימֶלֶךְ q.v. (Sab. also n.pr.f. OsianderZMG 1865, 209).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 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 «אֲבִימֶלֶךְ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/40/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Judges 9:22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JDG.9.22/)

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וַיָּ֧שַׂר אֲבִימֶ֛לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שָׁלֹ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃

*Word for word:* and he.ruled Abimelech over Israel three years

*JPS 1917:* And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.

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[Judges 9:47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JDG.9.47/)

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וַיֻּגַּ֖ד לַאֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ כִּ֣י הִֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כָּֽל־בַּעֲלֵ֖י מִֽגְדַּל־שְׁכֶֽםמִֽגְדַּל־שְׁכֶֽם׃

*Word for word:* and it.was.told to Abimelech (dm).that they.had.gathered.together all the.citizens of the.tower.of.Shechem

*JPS 1917:* And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

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