Ability. See Inability ; Will.
Abim'ael (Heb. AbimaeV , \>\X^O»,, father of Maeli Sept. 'Aj3i/.tai\, 'A/3i/t«ijX, Josephus 'Afii/id- r/Xoc), one of the sons of Joktan in Arabia (Gen. x, 28 ; 1 Chron. i, 22). B.C. post 2414. See Arabia. He was probably the father or founder of an Arabian tribe called Ma'el (^X"0, of unknown origin), a trace of which Bochart (Phaleg, ii, 24) discovers in Theo- phrastus (Hist, riant, ix, 4), where the name Mali (MciXi) occurs as that cf a spice-bearing region. Per-
ABIMELECH
1!)
ABIMELECH
haps the same is indicated in Eratosthenes (ap. Strabo, xvi, 1112) and Eustathius (ad Dionys. Periegetes, p. 288, ed. Bernhardy) b}r the Minwi, (Muraloi). So Diodorus Siculus (iii, 42); but Ptolemy (vi, 7) dis- tinguishes the Manitce (Mavlrai) from these, and at the same time refers to a village called Mamala (MdfiaXa taifirf) on the shore of the Red Sea. Hence Schneider proposes to read Mamali (Ma/.ui\i) in the above passage of Theophrastus ; perhaps we should rather read Mani (Mdvi), a natural interchange of liquids ; and then we may compare a place mentioned by Abulfeda (Arabia, ed. Gaguier, p. 3, 42), called Minay, 3 miles from Mecca (Michaelis, Sjncileg. ii, 179 sq.).— Gesenius, Thes. Heb. p. 9.
Abim'elech (Heb. Abime'lek, T^^X, father [i. z. friend] of the king, or perhaps i.q. royal father ; Sept. 'Aj3iuE\ex, but 'AxipiXex in 1 Chron. xviii, 16 ; Josephus 'A/3(/.<eA«x°c)) the name of four men. From the recurrence of this name among the kings of the Philistines, and from its interchange with the name " Achish" in the title to Psa. xxxiv, it would appear to have been, in that application, not a proper name, but rather a general title, like Pharoah among the Egyptians. Compare the title Padishah, i. e. "father of the king," given to the kings of Persia, supposed by Ludolf (Lex. sEthiop. p. 350) to have arisen from a salutation of respect like that among the Ethiopians, abba ?iagasi, equivalent to " God save the king" (Si- nionis Onomast. p. 400). Comp. Ahasuerus.
1. The Philistine king of Gerar (q. v.) in the time of Abraham (Gen. xx, 1 sq.), B.C. -080. Al raham removed into his territory perhaps on his return from Egypt ; and, fearing that the extreme beauty of Sa- rah (q. v.) might bring him into difficulties, he de- clared her to be his sister (see S. Chandler, Vind. of 0. T. p. 52). The conduct of Abimelech in taking Sarah into his harem shows that, even in those early times, kings claimed the right of taking to them- selves the unmarried females not only of their natu- ral subjects, but of those who sojourned in their do- minions. The same usage still prevails in Oriental countries, especially in Persia (Critical Review, iii, 332). See Woman. Another contemporary instance of this custom occurs in Gen. xii, 15, and one of later date in Esth. ii, 3. But Abimelech, obedient to a divine warning communicated to him in a dream, accompa- nied by the information that Abraham was a sacred person who had intercourse with God, restored her to her husband (see J. Orton, Works, i, 251). As a mark of his respect he added valuable gifts, and offered the patriarch a settlement in any part of the country; but he nevertheless did not forbear to rebuke, with min- gled delicacy and sarcasm (see C. Simeon, Works, i, 103), the deception which had been practised upon him (Gen. xx). The present consisted in part of a thou- sand pieces of silver, as a "covering of the eyes" for Sarah ; that is, according to some, as an atoning pres- ent, and to be a testimony of her innocence in the eyes of all (see J. C. Biedermann, Meletem. Philol. iii. 3 ; J. C. Korner, Exercitt. Theoh ii; J. A. M. Nagel, Ex- ercitt. Philol. Altd. 1759; J. G. F. Leun, Philol. Exeg. Giess. 1781). Others more happily (see Covering of the Eyks) think that the present was to procure a veil for Sarah to conceal her beauty, that she might not be coveted on account of her comeliness ; and "thus was she reproved" for not having worn a veil, which, as a married woman, according to the custom of the country, she ought to have done (Kitto's Daily BibU Illust. in loc). The interposition of Providence to deliver Sarah twice from royal harems (q. v.) will not seem superfluous when it is considered how carefully women are there secluded, and how iiripossible it is to obtain access to them (Esth. iv, 5) or get them back again (Kitto's Daily Bible Illust. in Gen. xii). In such cases it is not uncommon that the husband of a married woman is murdered in order that his wife may be retained by the tyrant (Thomson's Land and Book,
ii, 353). Nothing further is recorded of King Abim- elech, except that a few years after he repaired to the camp of Abraham, who had removed southward be- yond his borders, accompanied by Phichol, " the chief captain of his host," to invite the patriarch to contract with him a league of peace and friendship. Abraham consented ; and this first league on record [see Alli- ance] was confirmed by a mutual oath, made at a well which had been dug by Abraham, but which the herdsmen of Abimelech had forcibly seized without his knowledge. It was restored to the rightful own- er, on which Abraham named it Beersheba (the \\'<ll of the Oath), and consecrated the spot to the worship of Jehovah (Gen. xxi, 22-34). (See Origen, Opera, ii, 76 ; Whately, Prototypes, p. 197). See Abraham.