Abiathar
    father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech
    the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in
    descent from Eli. When his father was slain with the priests of
    Nob, he escaped, and bearing with him the ephod, he joined
    David, who was then in the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:20-23;
    23:6). He remained with David, and became priest of the party of
    which he was the leader (1 Sam. 30:7). When David ascended the
    throne of Judah, Abiathar was appointed high priest (1 Chr.
    15:11; 1 Kings 2:26) and the "king's companion" (1 Chr. 27:34).
    Meanwhile Zadok, of the house of Eleazar, had been made high
    priest. These appointments continued in force till the end of
    David's reign (1 Kings 4:4). Abiathar was deposed (the sole
    historical instance of the deposition of a high priest) and
    banished to his home at Anathoth by Solomon, because he took
    part in the attempt to raise Adonijah to the throne. The
    priesthood thus passed from the house of Ithamar (1 Sam.
    2:30-36; 1 Kings 1:19; 2:26, 27). Zadok now became sole high
    priest. In Mark 2:26, reference is made to an occurrence in "the
    days of Abiathar the high priest." But from 1 Sam. 22, we learn
    explicitly that this event took place when Ahimelech, the father
    of Abiathar, was high priest. The apparent discrepancy is
    satisfactorily explained by interpreting the words in Mark as
    referring to the life-time of Abiathar, and not to the term of
    his holding the office of high priest. It is not implied in Mark
    that he was actual high priest at the time referred to. Others,
    however, think that the loaves belonged to Abiathar, who was at
    that time (Lev. 24:9) a priest, and that he either himself gave
    them to David, or persuaded his father to give them.



 Abiathar, excellent father; father of the remnant