ACHIMELEK. - Son of Achitob, high priest at the sanctuary of Nob (I Sam. 21-22). Achia (v.). In reality, the two names 'Abitmelek (probably “brother of the king”) and 'Abiyyah (probably “brother of Jahweh”) are equivalent: “king” is in fact an attribute of the divinity. David, unarmed and fleeing Saul’s wrath, stopped with A. at Nob. He assured him that he was on a secret mission and asked for food and weapons. Having nothing else, A. gave him the loaves of the Presence, the sword of Golia, and consulted the ephod for him. Saul, enraged, had A. and the priests of Nob put to death; only A.’s son, ACHIACHAR (v.), escaped the massacre.
Gesù recalls this episode in order to inculcate the spirit of charity (Mc. 2, 26). Abiathar is there called high priest instead of A., his father. This has been thought to be a gloss or a copyist’s error; better, Abiathar is named because he was better known and more celebrated (cf. M.-J. Lagrange, Saint Marc, 5ª ed., Parigi 1929, p. 53). Francesco Spadafora