Difference between revisions of "Phichol"

Phichol <ref name="term_55412" />  

<p> (Heb. Pikol', פַּיכֹל, of doubtful meaning [see below]; Sept. Φιχώλ v.r. Φικόλ; [[Josephus]] Φίκωλος ), the proper, or, more probably, the titular name of the commander of the troops of Abimelech, the [[Philistine]] king of [[Gerar]] in the patriarchal period. (See Abimeilech). </p> <p> If the [[Abimelech]] of the time of [[Isaac]] was the son of the Abimelech of the time of Abraham, we may conclude that the [[Phichol]] who attended on the second Abimelech ( [[Genesis]] 21:22) was the successor of the one who was present with the first at the interview with [[Abraham]] ( Genesis 26:26). Josephus mentions him on the second occasion only. On the other hand the Sept. introduces Ahuzzath, Abimelech's other companion, on the first also. By [[Gesenius]] the name is treated as Hebrew, and as meaning the "m mouth of all." By Furst (Heb. Lex. s.v.) it is derived from a root פָּכִל, to be strong. But Hitzig (Philistdaer, § 57) refers it to the Sanscrit pitshula, a tamarisk, pointing out that Abraham had planted a tamarisk in Beersheba. and comparing the name with Elah, Berosus, Tappuach, and other names of persons and places signifying different kinds of trees; and with the name Φίγαλος, a village of [[Palestine]] (Josephus, Ant. 12:4, 2), and ( Φιγαλία in Greece. Stark (Gaza, etc. page 96) more cautiously avoids such speculations. The natural conclusion from these mere conjectures is that Phichol is a Philistine name, the derivation and meaning of which are lost to us. </p>