Ahimelech
Ahimelech - brother of the king, the son of
Ahitub and father of
Abiathar (1\nSam. 22:20-23). He descended from Eli in the line of Ithamar. In\n1 Chr. 18:16 he is called Abimelech, and is probably the same as\nAhiah (1 Sam. 14:3, 18). He was the twelfth high priest, and\nofficiated at Nob, where he was visited by
David (to whom and\nhis companions he gave five loaves of the showbread) when he\nfled from
Saul (1 Sam. 21:1-9). He was summoned into
Saul's\npresence, and accused, on the information of Doeg the Edomite,\nof disloyalty because of his kindness to
David; whereupon the\nking commanded that he, with the other priests who stood beside\nhim (86 in all), should be put to death. This sentence was\ncarried into execution by Doeg in the most cruel manner (1 Sam.\n22:9-23). Possibly
Abiathar had a son also called Ahimelech, or\nthe two names, as some think, may have been accidentally\ntransposed in 2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chr. 18:16, marg.; 24:3, 6, 31.
From
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)