23 Then God H430 sent H7971 an evil H7451 spirit H7307 between Abimelech H40 and the men H1167 of Shechem; H7927 and the men H1167 of Shechem H7927 dealt treacherously H898 with Abimelech: H40
24 That the cruelty H2555 done to the threescore and ten H7657 sons H1121 of Jerubbaal H3378 might come, H935 and their blood H1818 be laid H7760 upon Abimelech H40 their brother, H251 which slew H2026 them; and upon the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 which aided H2388 H3027 him in the killing H2026 of his brethren. H251
25 And the men H1167 of Shechem H7927 set H7760 liers in wait H693 for him in the top H7218 of the mountains, H2022 and they robbed H1497 all that came H5674 along that way H1870 by them: and it was told H5046 Abimelech. H40
26 And Gaal H1603 the son H1121 of Ebed H5651 came H935 with his brethren, H251 and went over H5674 to Shechem: H7927 and the men H1167 of Shechem H7927 put their confidence H982 in him.
27 And they went out H3318 into the fields, H7704 and gathered H1219 their vineyards, H3754 and trode H1869 the grapes, and made H6213 merry, H1974 and went H935 into the house H1004 of their god, H430 and did eat H398 and drink, H8354 and cursed H7043 Abimelech. H40
28 And Gaal H1603 the son H1121 of Ebed H5651 said, H559 Who is Abimelech, H40 and who is Shechem, H7927 that we should serve H5647 him? is not he the son H1121 of Jerubbaal? H3378 and Zebul H2083 his officer? H6496 serve H5647 the men H582 of Hamor H2544 the father H1 of Shechem: H7927 for why should we serve H5647 him?
29 And would to God this people H5971 were under H5414 my hand! H3027 then would I remove H5493 Abimelech. H40 And he said H559 to Abimelech, H40 Increase H7235 thine army, H6635 and come out. H3318
30 And when Zebul H2083 the ruler H8269 of the city H5892 heard H8085 the words H1697 of Gaal H1603 the son H1121 of Ebed, H5651 his anger H639 was kindled. H2734
31 And he sent H7971 messengers H4397 unto Abimelech H40 privily, H8649 saying, H559 Behold, Gaal H1603 the son H1121 of Ebed H5651 and his brethren H251 be come H935 to Shechem; H7927 and, behold, they fortify H6696 the city H5892 against thee.
32 Now therefore up H6965 by night, H3915 thou and the people H5971 that is with thee, and lie in wait H693 in the field: H7704
33 And it shall be, that in the morning, H1242 as soon as the sun H8121 is up, H2224 thou shalt rise early, H7925 and set H6584 upon the city: H5892 and, behold, when he and the people H5971 that is with him come out H3318 against thee, then mayest thou do H6213 to them as thou H3027 shalt find occasion. H4672
34 And Abimelech H40 rose up, H6965 and all the people H5971 that were with him, by night, H3915 and they laid wait H693 against Shechem H7927 in four H702 companies. H7218
35 And Gaal H1603 the son H1121 of Ebed H5651 went out, H3318 and stood H5975 in the entering H6607 of the gate H8179 of the city: H5892 and Abimelech H40 rose up, H6965 and the people H5971 that were with him, from lying in wait. H3993
36 And when Gaal H1603 saw H7200 the people, H5971 he said H559 to Zebul, H2083 Behold, there come H3381 people H5971 down H3381 from the top H7218 of the mountains. H2022 And Zebul H2083 said H559 unto him, Thou seest H7200 the shadow H6738 of the mountains H2022 as if they were men. H582
37 And Gaal H1603 spake H1696 again H3254 and said, H559 See there come H3381 people H5971 down H3381 by the middle H2872 of the land, H776 and another H259 company H7218 come H935 along by the plain H436 of H1870 Meonenim. H6049
38 Then said H559 Zebul H2083 unto him, Where is now H645 thy mouth, H6310 wherewith thou saidst, H559 Who is Abimelech, H40 that we should serve H5647 him? is not this the people H5971 that thou hast despised? H3988 go out, H3318 I pray now, H4994 and fight H3898 with them.
39 And Gaal H1603 went out H3318 before H6440 the men H1167 of Shechem, H7927 and fought H3898 with Abimelech. H40
40 And Abimelech H40 chased H7291 him, and he fled H5127 before H6440 him, and many H7227 were overthrown H5307 and wounded, H2491 even unto the entering H6607 of the gate. H8179
41 And Abimelech H40 dwelt H3427 at Arumah: H725 and Zebul H2083 thrust out H1644 Gaal H1603 and his brethren, H251 that they should not dwell H3427 in Shechem. H7927
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, H4283 that the people H5971 went out H3318 into the field; H7704 and they told H5046 Abimelech. H40
43 And he took H3947 the people, H5971 and divided H2673 them into three H7969 companies, H7218 and laid wait H693 in the field, H7704 and looked, H7200 and, behold, the people H5971 were come forth H3318 out of the city; H5892 and he rose up H6965 against them, and smote H5221 them.
44 And Abimelech, H40 and the company H7218 that was with him, rushed forward, H6584 and stood H5975 in the entering H6607 of the gate H8179 of the city: H5892 and the two H8147 other companies H7218 ran upon H6584 all the people that were in the fields, H7704 and slew H5221 them.
45 And Abimelech H40 fought H3898 against the city H5892 all that day; H3117 and he took H3920 the city, H5892 and slew H2026 the people H5971 that was therein, and beat down H5422 the city, H5892 and sowed H2232 it with salt. H4417
46 And when all the men H1167 of the tower H4026 of Shechem H7927 heard H8085 that, they entered H935 into an hold H6877 of the house H1004 of the god H410 Berith. H1286
47 And it was told H5046 Abimelech, H40 that all the men H1167 of the tower H4026 of Shechem H7927 were gathered together. H6908
48 And Abimelech H40 gat him up H5927 to mount H2022 Zalmon, H6756 he and all the people H5971 that were with him; and Abimelech H40 took H3947 an axe H7134 in his hand, H3027 and cut down H3772 a bough H7754 from the trees, H6086 and took H5375 it, and laid H7760 it on his shoulder, H7926 and said H559 unto the people H5971 that were with him, What ye have seen H7200 me do, H6213 make haste, H4116 and do H6213 as I H3644 have done.
49 And all the people H5971 likewise cut down H3772 every man H376 his bough, H7754 and followed H3212 H310 Abimelech, H40 and put H7760 them to the hold, H6877 and set H3341 the hold H6877 on fire H784 upon them; so that all the men H582 of the tower H4026 of Shechem H7927 died H4191 also, about a thousand H505 men H376 and women. H802
50 Then went H3212 Abimelech H40 to Thebez, H8405 and encamped H2583 against Thebez, H8405 and took H3920 it.
51 But there was a strong H5797 tower H4026 within H8432 the city, H5892 and thither fled H5127 all the men H582 and women, H802 and all they H1167 of the city, H5892 and shut H5462 it to them, and gat them up H5927 to the top H1406 of the tower. H4026
52 And Abimelech H40 came H935 unto the tower, H4026 and fought H3898 against it, and went hard H5066 unto the door H6607 of the tower H4026 to burn H8313 it with fire. H784
53 And a certain H259 woman H802 cast H7993 a piece H6400 of a millstone H7393 upon Abimelech's H40 head, H7218 and all to brake H7533 his skull. H1538
54 Then he called H7121 hastily H4120 unto the young man H5288 his armourbearer, H5375 H3627 and said H559 unto him, Draw H8025 thy sword, H2719 and slay H4191 me, that men say H559 not of me, A woman H802 slew H2026 him. And his young man H5288 thrust him through, H1856 and he died. H4191
55 And when the men H376 of Israel H3478 saw H7200 that Abimelech H40 was dead, H4191 they departed H3212 every man H376 unto his place. H4725
56 Thus God H430 rendered H7725 the wickedness H7451 of Abimelech, H40 which he did H6213 unto his father, H1 in slaying H2026 his seventy H7657 brethren: H251
57 And all the evil H7451 of the men H582 of Shechem H7927 did God H430 render H7725 upon their heads: H7218 and upon them came H935 the curse H7045 of Jotham H3147 the son H1121 of Jerubbaal. H3378
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 9
Commentary on Judges 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
Jud 9:1-6. Abimelech Is Made King by the Shechemites.
1. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem—The idolatry which had been stealthily creeping into Israel during the latter years of Gideon was now openly professed; Shechem was wholly inhabited by its adherents; at least, idolaters had the ascendency. Abimelech, one of Gideon's numerous sons, was connected with that place. Ambitious of sovereign power, and having plied successfully the arts of a demagogue with his maternal relatives and friends, he acquired both the influence and money by which he raised himself to a throne.
communed … with all the family of the house of his mother's father—Here is a striking instance of the evils of polygamy—one son has connections and interests totally alien to those of his brothers.
2. Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, … or that one reign over you—a false insinuation, artfully contrived to stir up jealousy and alarm. Gideon had rejected, with abhorrence, the proposal to make himself or any of his family king, and there is no evidence that any of his other sons coveted the title.
4. the house of Baal-berith—either the temple, or the place where this idol was worshipped; Baal-berith, "god of the covenant," by invocation of whom the league of cities was formed.
Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him—idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement.
5. went unto … Ophrah, and slew his brethren i. e., upon one stone—This is the first mention of a barbarous atrocity which has, with appalling frequency, been perpetrated in the despotic countries of the East—that of one son of the deceased monarch usurping the throne and hastening to confirm himself in the possession by the massacre of all the natural or legitimate competitors. Abimelech slew his brethren on one stone, either by dashing them from one rock, or sacrificing them on one stone altar, in revenge for the demolition of Baal's altar by their father. This latter view is the more probable, from the Shechemites (Jud 9:24) aiding in it.
threescore and ten persons—A round number is used, but it is evident that two are wanting to complete that number.
6. all the men of Shechem …, and all the house of Millo—that is, a mound or rampart, so that the meaning is, all the men in the house or temple; namely, the priests of Baal.
made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar—rather, "by the oak near a raised mound"—so that the ceremony of coronation might be conspicuous to a crowd.
Jud 9:7-21. Jotham by a Parable Reproaches Them.
7. he … stood in the top of mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice—The spot he chose was, like the housetops, the public place of Shechem; and the parable [Jud 9:8-15] drawn from the rivalry of the various trees was appropriate to the diversified foliage of the valley below. Eastern people are exceedingly fond of parables and use them for conveying reproofs, which they could not give in any other way. The top of Gerizim is not so high in the rear of the town, as it is nearer to the plain. With a little exertion of voice, he could easily have been heard by the people of the city; for the hill so overhangs the valley, that a person from the side or summit would have no difficulty in speaking to listeners at the base. Modern history records a case, in which soldiers on the hill shouted to the people in the city and endeavored to instigate them to an insurrection. There is something about the elastic atmosphere of an Eastern clime which causes it to transmit sound with wonderful celerity and distinctness [Hackett].
13. wine, which cheereth God and man—not certainly in the same manner. God might be said to be "cheered" by it, when the sacrifices were accepted, as He is said also to be honored by oil (Jud 9:9).
21. Joatham … went to Beer—the modern village El-Bireh, on the ridge which bounds the northern prospect of Jerusalem.
Jud 9:22-49. Gaal's Conspiracy.
22. When Abimelech had reigned three years—His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge.
23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem—In the course of providence, jealousy, distrust, secret disaffection, and smothered rebellion appeared among his subjects disappointed and disgusted with his tyranny; and God permitted those disorders to punish the complicated crimes of the royal fratricide and idolatrous usurper.
26. Gaal … came with his brethren …, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him—An insurrection of the original Canaanites, headed by this man, at last broke out in Shechem.
28-45. would to God this people were under my hand—He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.
Jud 9:50-57. Abimelech Slain.
50. Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez—now Tubas—not far from Shechem.
51-53. all the men and women, … gat them up to the top of the tower—The Canaanite forts were generally mountain fastnesses or keeps, and they often had a strong tower which served as a last refuge. The Assyrian bas-reliefs afford counterparts of the scene here described so vivid and exact, that we might almost suppose them to be representations of the same historic events. The besieged city—the strong tower within—the men and women crowding its battlements—the fire applied to the doors, and even the huge fragments of stone dropping from the hands of one of the garrison on the heads of the assailants, are all well represented to the life—just as they are here described in the narrative of inspired truth [Goss].