Judges 9:6

6 congregati sunt autem omnes viri Sychem et universae familiae urbis Mello abieruntque et constituerunt regem Abimelech iuxta quercum quae stabat in Sychem

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 dederuntque illi septuaginta pondo argenti de fano Baalbrith qui conduxit sibi ex eo viros inopes et vagos secutique sunt eum

5 et venit in domum patris sui Ephra et occidit fratres suos filios Hierobbaal septuaginta viros super lapidem unum remansitque Ioatham filius Hierobbaal minimus et absconditus est

6 congregati sunt autem omnes viri Sychem et universae familiae urbis Mello abieruntque et constituerunt regem Abimelech iuxta quercum quae stabat in Sychem

7 quod cum nuntiatum esset Ioatham ivit et stetit in vertice montis Garizim elevataque voce clamavit et dixit audite me viri Sychem ita audiat vos Deus

8 ierunt ligna ut unguerent super se regem dixeruntque olivae impera nobis