אבימלך

Meaning: “father of a king”

Compound of אֲבִי (aví, “father (of)”) + מֶלֶךְ (mélekh, “king”), literally “father of a king”; possibly a title used by Philistine kings such as Pharaoh by the kings of ancient Egypt or more recently Padishah by the Ottoman sultans and Persian kings, and symbolizing dynastic continuity by claiming one's son to be a king. Such an interpretation would explain the reoccurence of this name for multiple kings over separate time periods, and also the fact that in Psalms 34:1 and 1 Samuel 21:11 different names are used for the same person, with the later ostensibly using the personal name אָכִישׁ (Akhísh) instead of Abimelech. Going against this claim, but not necessarily contradicting it, is the fact that in the Book of Judges this noun is also used as a proper name by Gideon for his son. Compare also Abimilku, a name referring to the ruler of Tyre around 1350 BCE, and analogous names such as אֲחִימֶלֶךְ (Akhimélekh, literally “brother of a king”), borne by a high priest during the lifetime of David.