Judges 9:1-6

Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1 Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal ^[a] went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,

2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

3 And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver ^[b] from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.

6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak ^[c] at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.

Judges 9:1-6 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] Jerubbaal is another name for Gideon and probably means let Baal contend; here and throughout this chapter; see Judges 6:32.
• [b] 70 shekels is approximately 1.76 pounds or 797.8 grams of silver.
• [c] Or terebinth or great tree