Judges 9:29-39

29 And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech, and I would say to him, Multiply thy host, and come out.

30 And Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Jobel, and he was very angry.

31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Jobel and his brethren are come to Sychem; and behold, they have besieged the city against thee.

32 And now rise up by night, thou and the people with thee, and lay wait in the field.

33 And it shall come to pass in the morning at sunrising, thou shalt rise up early and draw toward the city; and behold, he and the people with him will come forth against thee, and thou shalt do to him according to thy power.

34 And Abimelech and all the people with him rose up by night, and formed an ambuscade against Sychem in four companies.

35 And Gaal the son of Jobel went forth, and stood by the door of the gate of the city: and Abimelech and the people with him rose up from the ambuscade.

36 And Gaal the son of Jobel saw the people, and said to Zebul, Behold, a people comes down from the top of the mountains: and Zebul said to him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as men.

37 And Gaal continued to speak and said, Behold, a people comes down westward from the part bordering on the middle of the land, and another company comes by the way of Helon Maonenim.

38 And Zebul said to him, And where is thy mouth as thou spokest, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? not this the people whom thou despisedst? go forth now, and set the battle in array against him.

39 And Gaal went forth before the men of Sychem, and set the battle in array against Abimelech.

Judges 9:29-39 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 9

This chapter contains an account of the craft and cruelty of Abimelech, by which he got himself made king of the Shechemites, Jud 9:1-6 of the parable of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, concerning the trees, in which he exposes their folly in making Abimelech king, and foretells the ruin of them both, Jud 9:7-21 of the contentions which arose between Abimelech, and the men of Shechem, increased by Gaal the son of Ebed, Jud 9:22-29 who was drawn into a battle with Abimelech, and beaten and forced to fly, Jud 9:30-41 but the quarrel between Abimelech and the men of Shechem ceased not, but still continued, which issued in the entire ruin of the city and the inhabitants of it, Jud 9:42-49 and in the death of Abimelech himself, according to Jotham's curse, Jud 9:50-57.

Footnotes

• [a]. and I will.
• [b]. are coming, etc.
• [c]. whatsoever they hand shall find.
• [d]. by the sea. A double rendering, perhaps to ???, the first ?at? ???assa? - the second, ?p? t?? ???µe?a.
• [e]. translates the words