DID CHRIST SAY ABIATHAR INSTEAD OF AHIMELECH GAVE KING DAVID THE SHOWBREAD?
Was Christ wrong to say in Mark 2:25-26 “in the time of Abiathar the high priest” David and his companions were given the showbread to eat? One Sam. 21:1-6 says Ahimelech gave David the consecrated bread. To solve this discrepancy, it’s necessary to note very carefully the literal wording “in the time of Abiathar the high priest,” for Christ didn’t say “Abiathar gave David the showbread.” After Saul commanded Doeg the Edomite to kill all the priests at Nob except Abiathar (1Sa 22:9,16-22), the latter was made high priest by King David. The Greek reads “Epi Abiathar archiereos.” “Epi” combined with the genitive means “in the time of.” (See Acts 11:28; Heb 1:2 for similar constructions). As Archer explains: Under these circumstances it was perfectly proper to refer to Abiathar as the high priesteven though his appointment as such came somewhat later, after the incident at Nobjust as it would be proper to introduce an anecdote by saying, “Now when King David was a shepherd boy,” even
