Mark 2:26

” . . . {David} went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat . . . ”

1 Samuel 21:1-6
“Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest . . . so the priest gave him hallowed bread . . . ”

Problem: Mark quotes Jesus as saying that Abiathar was the high priest, but the account in Samuel to which James refers, says that Ahimelech was the high priest. Therefore, it is argued, that one, or both accounts, is in error.

Solution:
The apparent inaccuracy is resolved once it is realized that Abiathar and Ahimelech were names of both father and son. This can be seen by a comparison of the following passages:
1 Samuel 14:3 – “And Ahiah, {mg. called Ahimelech} the son of Ahitub . . . ”
1 Samuel 22:20 – “And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.”
2 Samuel 8:17 – “And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests . . . ”
1 Chronicles 18:16; 24:6 – same as 2 Samuel 8:17.

The following diagram illustrates the point:

Jesus and the account in Samuel refer to Ahimelech (or Abiathar, his other name), the son of Ahitub. There is, therefore, no inaccuracy. Jesus uses one name, and the Samuel’s account uses the other name, for the same individual.