Abimelech (Judges)

Abimelech
King of Shechem
PredecessorGideon, only as a Judge
SuccessorTola, only as a Judge
BornShechem, Land of Israel
DiedThebez, Land of Israel
Hebrewאֲבִימֶלֶךְ
FatherGideon

Abimelech (/əˈbɪməˌlɛk/; אֲבִימֶלֶךְ Ǎḇīmeleḵ) or Abimelek was the king of Shechem and the tribal territory of Manasseh,[1] and a son of biblical judge Gideon. His name can best be interpreted as "my father is king",[2][3] claiming the inherited right to rule. He is introduced in Judges 8:31 as the son of Gideon and his Shechemite concubine, and the biblical account of his reign is described in chapter nine of the Book of Judges. According to the Bible, he was an unprincipled and ambitious ruler who often engaged in war against his own subjects.

  1. ^ Sasson 2014, p. 373.
  2. ^ Schneider 2000, p. 134.
  3. ^ Auld 1984, p. 180.