Hakim-hakim 8:31

8:31 His concubine, ¹  who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. ² 

Hakim-hakim 9:1-3

Abimelech Murders His Brothers

9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. ³  He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, ⁴  9:2 “Tell ⁵  all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want ⁶  to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” ⁷  9:3 His mother’s relatives ⁸  spoke on his behalf to ⁹  all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. ¹⁰  The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; ¹¹  they said, “He is our close relative.” ¹² 

Hakim-hakim 9:6-7

9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar ¹³  in Shechem.

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news, ¹⁴  he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, ¹⁵  “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

Hakim-hakim 9:18

9:18 But you have attacked ¹⁶  my father’s family ¹⁷  today. You murdered his seventy legitimate ¹⁸  sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. ¹⁹ 

Hakim-hakim 9:20

9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!”

Hakim-hakim 9:22-31

God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse

9:22 Abimelech commanded ²⁰  Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility ²¹  between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal ²²  to Abimelech. 9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother ²³  who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. ²⁴  9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting ²⁵  bandits in ²⁶  the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. ²⁷ 

9:26 Gaal son of Ebed ²⁸  came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. ²⁹  9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, ³⁰  squeezed out the juice, ³¹  and celebrated. They came to the temple ³²  of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? ³³  Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? ³⁴  9:29 If only these men ³⁵  were under my command, ³⁶  I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, ³⁷  “Muster ³⁸  your army and come out for battle!” ³⁹ 

9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. ⁴⁰  9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, ⁴¹  reporting, “Beware! ⁴²  Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming ⁴³  to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. ⁴⁴ 

Hakim-hakim 9:34

9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up ⁴⁵  at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into ⁴⁶  four units.

Hakim-hakim 9:39-42

9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out ⁴⁷  and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ⁴⁸  ran from him. Many Shechemites ⁴⁹  fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back ⁵⁰  to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. ⁵¹ 

9:42 The next day the Shechemites ⁵²  came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, ⁵³ 

Hakim-hakim 9:44

9:44 Abimelech and his units ⁵⁴  attacked and blocked ⁵⁵  the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down.

Hakim-hakim 9:46-47

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ⁵⁶  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ⁵⁷  of the temple of El-Berith. ⁵⁸  9:47 Abimelech heard ⁵⁹  that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. ⁶⁰ 

Hakim-hakim 9:49

9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ⁶¹  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ⁶²  All the people ⁶³  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

Hakim-hakim 9:56-57

9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. ⁶⁴  9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell ⁶⁵  on them.

Hakim-hakim 21:19

21:19 However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel ⁶⁶  (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.”

[8:31]  ¹ sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).

[8:31]  ² sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”

[9:1]  ³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”

[9:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

[9:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

[9:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

[9:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “brothers.”

[9:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “into the ears of.”

[9:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and all these words.”

[9:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”

[9:3]  ¹² tn Heb “our brother.”

[9:6]  ¹³ tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).

[9:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

[9:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

[9:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “have risen up against.”

[9:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[9:18]  ¹⁸ tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “your brother.”

[9:22]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).

[9:22]  sn Abimelech commanded Israel. Perhaps while ruling as king over the city-state of Shechem, Abimelech also became a leader of the Israelite tribal alliance (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 175).

[9:23]  ²¹ tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”

[9:23]  ²² tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:24]  ²³ tn Heb “their brother.”

[9:24]  ²⁴ tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”

[9:25]  ²⁵ tn Heb “set against him bandits.”

[9:25]  sn Putting bandits in the hills. This piracy certainly interrupted or discouraged trade, and probably deprived Abimelech of tariffs or tribute. See C. F. Burney, Judges, 277; G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 253.

[9:25]  ²⁶ tn Heb “on the tops of.”

[9:25]  ²⁷ tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”

[9:26]  ²⁸ sn The name Gaal derives from, or at least sounds like, a Hebrew verb meaning “to abhor, loathe.” His father’s name, Ebed, means “servant.” Perhaps then this could be translated, “loathsome one, son of a servant.” This individual’s very name (which may be the narrator’s nickname for him, not his actual name) seems to hint at his immoral character and lowly social status.

[9:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “trusted in him.” Here the verb probably describes more than a mental attitude. It is likely that the Shechemites made an alliance with Gaal and were now trusting him for protection in return for their loyalty (and probably tribute).

[9:27]  ³⁰ tn Heb “vineyards.”

[9:27]  ³¹ tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.

[9:27]  ³² tn Heb “house.”

[9:28]  ³³ tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

[9:28]  ³⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:29]  ³⁵ tn Heb “people.”

[9:29]  ³⁶ tn Heb “in my hand.”

[9:29]  sn If only these men were under my command. One might assume from v. 26b that the men were already at his disposal, but perhaps that was not one of the terms of the agreement. Another possibility is that v. 26 is a general summary statement, with vv. 27-29 then detailing how the alliance with Gaal came about.

[9:29]  ³⁷ tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”

[9:29]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Make numerous.”

[9:29]  ³⁹ tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.

[9:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[9:31]  ⁴¹ tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (bÿtarmah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, ba’rumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of alef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.

[9:31]  ⁴² tn Heb “Look!”

[9:31]  ⁴³ tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.

[9:31]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).

[9:34]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”

[9:34]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:39]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”

[9:40]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:40]  ⁴⁹ tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.

[9:41]  ⁵⁰ tc Heb “stayed.” Some scholars revise the vowel pointing on this verb from that of the MT, resulting in the translation “and he returned to.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX understands the word in this way.

[9:41]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”

[9:42]  ⁵² tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:42]  ⁵³ tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”

[9:44]  ⁵⁴ tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”

[9:44]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “stood [at].”

[9:46]  ⁵⁶ sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

[9:46]  ⁵⁷ tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.

[9:46]  ⁵⁸ sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.

[9:47]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”

[9:47]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “were assembled.”

[9:49]  ⁶¹ tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:49]  ⁶² tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

[9:49]  ⁶³ tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.

[9:56]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “seventy brothers.”

[9:57]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “came.”

[21:19]  ⁶⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.