Abiathar was a pivotal figure in the Old Testament, the High Priest who faithfully served King David throughout his tumultuous life. His story is one of loyalty and dramatic fulfillment of ancient prophecy, tracing his journey from a lone survivor of a massacre to one of the most powerful priests in Israel.
The Lone Survivor and David’s Priest
Abiathar was the son of Ahimelech, the High Priest at Nob. His dramatic entry into the biblical narrative establishes the foundation of his lifelong relationship with David.
- The Nob Massacre: Abiathar was the sole son of Ahimelech to escape the slaughter of the priests at Nob, which King Saul commanded in his paranoia that the priests were conspiring with David.
“And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.” (1 Samuel 22:20, KJV)
- Priesthood in Exile: Abiathar fled to David in the wilderness, bringing with him the ephod (1 Samuel 23:6), the sacred priestly garment containing the Urim and Thummim, which was used to inquire of God. He became David’s priest during his years as a fugitive, continually consulting the Lord on his behalf.
“And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.” (1 Samuel 30:7, KJV)
High Priest to King David
When David became king, Abiathar’s loyalty was rewarded. He served as one of the two principal High Priests alongside Zadok throughout David’s reign.
- Faithful Service: He remained loyal to David during the rebellion of his son Absalom, even going back into Jerusalem on David’s orders to gather intelligence on Absalom’s counsel (2 Samuel 15:24-37). His loyalty was a key component of David’s success.
- A Fatal Mistake: As David approached the end of his life, Abiathar made a crucial error: he sided with Adonijah, David’s elder son, who attempted to seize the throne, in opposition to Solomon, the son David had promised to place on the throne.
“And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.” (1 Kings 1:7, KJV)
The Prophecy Fulfilled
Upon securing his kingdom, King Solomon dealt with those who had conspired against him, but he spared Abiathar’s life due to his past service to David.
- Deposition: Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood, sending him to his fields in Anathoth. This act was not merely political punishment, but the fulfillment of a generations-old divine decree.
“And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.” (1 Kings 2:26, KJV)
- Prophetic Fulfillment: By removing Abiathar, a descendant of Eli, from the priesthood, the word of the Lord spoken nearly a century earlier concerning the destruction of Eli’s priestly house was finally and completely fulfilled.
“So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.” (1 Kings 2:27, KJV)
Zadok then became the sole High Priest, solidifying the shift of the High Priesthood from the house of Ithamar (Abiathar’s line) to the house of Eleazar (Zadok’s line).