Judges 8:31

31 His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.

Judges 8:31 in Other Translations

KJV
31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
ESV
31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.
NLT
31 He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech.
MSG
31 His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech.
CSB
31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

Judges 8:31 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 8:31

And his concubine that was in Shechem
Which was not an harlot, but a secondary or half wife; such were generally taken from handmaids, and of the meaner sort, and were not in such esteem as proper wives, had not the management of household affairs, only a share in the bed, and their children did not inherit. This concubine of Gideon's seems not to have been taken into his house at all, but lived at Shechem, perhaps in her father's house, and here Gideon met with her when he went to Shechem as a judge to try causes; her name, according to Josephus F12, was Druma:

she also bare him a son;
as his other wives did; perhaps all the children he had were sons, and this was one over and above the seventy, and not to be reckoned into that number:

whose name he called Abimelech:
which signifies, "my father a king"; which he gave him either in memory of the offer made him to be king of Israel, or through foresight of what this son of his would be; or he might be moved to it by the mother from pride and vanity, and which name might afterwards inspire the young man to be made a king, as he was; and the account given of his name is because of the narrative of him in the following chapter.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 1.

Judges 8:31 In-Context

29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live.
30 He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.
31 His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.
32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Genesis 22:24
  • 2. Judges 9:1; Judges 10:1; 2 Samuel 11:21
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