Judges 9:6

6 And all the men of Sicima, and all the house of Bethmaalo, were gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of Sedition, which was at Sicima.

Judges 9:6 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:6

And all the men of Shechem gathered together
Upon the return of Abimelech, after he with his banditti had committed the execrable murder of his brethren:

and all the house of Millo;
which was either the men of a place near to Shechem, or of his brother's family, or of some grand leading family in Shechem; or it may mean the town hall, where the principal inhabitants met in full house, as Millo signifies, on this occasion:

and went and made Abimelech king;
which was a most bold and daring action; being done without asking counsel of God, without which no king was to be set over Israel, and by a single city, without the knowledge, advice, and consent of the body of the people of Israel: by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem; the place where they met together, and did this business in voting Abimelech to be king, was near a place where a pillar was set in Shechem; or by the oak of the pillar in Shechem, and so may mean the stone under an oak, which Joshua placed there as a testimony between God and the people, ( Joshua 24:25-27 ) and here, in the same place where Joshua convened the people of Israel, and made his last speech to them, was this business done.

Judges 9:6 In-Context

4 And they gave him seventy of silver out of the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech hired for himself vain and cowardly men, and they went after him.

5 And he went to the house of his father to Ephratha, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerobaal, seventy men upon one stone; but Joatham the youngest son of Jerobaal was left, for he hid himself.

6 And all the men of Sicima, and all the house of Bethmaalo, were gathered together, and they went and made Abimelech king by the oak of Sedition, which was at Sicima.

7 And it was reported to Joatham, and he went and stood on the top of mount Garizin, and lifted up his voice, and wept, and said to them, Hear me, ye men of Sicima, and God shall hear you.

8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive, Reign over us.

Footnotes

• [a]. rightly omits e??et?.