Judges 9:26

26 And Gaal son of Jobel came, and his brethren, and passed by Sicima, and the men of Sicima trusted in him.

Judges 9:26 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:26

And Gaal the son or Ebed came with his brethren, and went over
to Shechem
Who this Gaal was, and who his brethren, and from whence he came, and the place he went over, are all uncertain. Jarchi thinks he was a Gentile, and it looks, by some speeches of his afterwards, as if he was a descendant of Hamor, prince of Shechem, in the times of Jacob, who, since the expulsion of the Canaanites, his family had retired to some distant parts; but hearing of a difference between Abimelech and the Shechemites, Gaal, with some of the family, came over, perhaps over Jordan, to make what advantage he could of it:

and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him;
freely told him their mind, the ill opinion they had of Abimelech, and what was their design against him; and he assuring them he would take their part, and defend them to the uttermost, they depended on him, and therefore very securely went about their business in the fields, as follows.

Judges 9:26 In-Context

24 to bring the injury done to the seventy sons of Jerobaal, and to lay their blood upon their brother Abimelech, who slew them, and upon the men of Sicima, because they strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.
25 And the men of Sicima set liers in wait against him on the top of the mountains, and robbed every one who passed by them on the way; and it was reported to the king Abimelech.
26 And Gaal son of Jobel came, and his brethren, and passed by Sicima, and the men of Sicima trusted in him.
27 And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and trod them, and made merry; and they brought into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 And Gaal the son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him? not the son of Jerobaal, and not Zebul his steward, his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem? and why should we serve him?

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.