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H288 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֲחִימֶלֶךְ
Achimelek
Proper noun -- personal name
Ahimelech / My Brother is King

Definition

A personal name meaning 'my brother is king,' from ach (brother) and melek (king). The priest at Nob who gave David the showbread and Goliath's sword.

Usage & Theological Significance

Ahimelech provided David with showbread and Goliath's sword (1 Samuel 21), then was slaughtered by Saul's order (1 Samuel 22:18). Jesus referenced this episode as precedent for mercy over ritual (Matthew 12:3-4). His sacrifice for God's anointed foreshadows those who share Christ's provision and suffering.

Key Bible Verses

1 Samuel 21:1 David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest.
1 Samuel 22:18 He killed eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod.
Matthew 12:3 Have you not read what David did... how he ate the bread of the Presence?
Psalm 52:1 When Doeg... told Saul, 'David has come to the house of Ahimelech.'
Hebrews 2:17 He had to be made like his brothers in every respect.

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