Abimelech in Psalm 34?
There is an interesting anomaly in verse 1 of Psalm 34. It reads:
Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who forced him to depart.
The problem is that in the episode where David feigns madness the king is actually Achish (see 1 Samuel 21), not Abimelech. So, how has this been explained (similar explanations in various sources)?
- Scribal error
- Abimelech is a general name for Philistine Kings
- Abimelech is Achish’s dynastic name
Not sure how well any of these work, like how a scribe would get Abimelech out of Achish (though it is interesting that David has dealings with Ahimelech just before the story in which he feigns madness in 1 Samuel 21). As to the last two suggestions, I’ve not seen them anywhere else other than in reading up on this verse. Interesting …
Related – Check out some of my other Psalms posts from last week:
Psalm 1 – Translation Comparison