Judges9

Abimelech, son of Gideon, conspires with the men of Shechem to make himself king, subsequently murdering his seventy half-brothers, save Jotham. Jotham prophesies mutual destruction upon Abimelech and Shechem for their treachery. God sends an evil spirit, leading to conflict, and Abimelech ultimately destroys Shechem before being fatally wounded by a woman at Thebez. His ignominious death fulfills Jotham's curse upon him and Shechem.
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Abimelech Seeks Kingship in Shechem

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And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, ​
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Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. ​
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And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
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And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. ​
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And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. ​
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And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem. ​

Jotham's Fable and Curse

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And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. ​
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The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. ​
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But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?
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And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
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But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees?
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And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
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And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? ​
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Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
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And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. ​
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Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands
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(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
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and ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother);
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if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
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but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. ​
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And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

God Sows Discord Between Abimelech and Shechem

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And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. ​
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And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: ​
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that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren. ​
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And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

Gaal Incites Rebellion Against Abimelech

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And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
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And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trodthe grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. ​
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And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? ​
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And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
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And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. ​
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And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee.
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Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people that are with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
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and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and rush upon the city; and, behold, when he and the people that are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
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And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
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And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment.
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And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
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And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company cometh by the way of the oak of Meonenim.
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Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.
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And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
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And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.
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And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

Abimelech Destroys Shechem

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And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
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And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
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And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them.
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And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. ​
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And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith. ​
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And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
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And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
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And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. ​

Abimelech's Death at Thebez

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Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
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But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower.
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And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
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And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull. ​
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Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. ​
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And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
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Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; ​
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and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. ​

Study Notes for Judges 9

Verse 1

Shechem was a major city with strong Canaanite ties (indicated by the worship of Baal-Berith, v. 4). Abimelech appeals to his maternal lineage here, prioritizing political expediency over his father Gideon's anti-monarchical stance.

Verse 2

The appeal to 'your bone and your flesh' is a powerful tribal formula for kinship, designed to leverage Shechem's loyalty against Gideon's larger, potentially divided, family.

Verse 4

Baalberith means 'Baal of the Covenant.' The silver was taken from this temple treasury, illustrating how Abimelech's rule was rooted in Canaanite idolatry, directly contradicting Gideon’s legacy (Jerubbaal, 'Let Baal contend').

Verse 5

The mass execution 'upon one stone' emphasizes the brutality and planned nature of the coup. This act of fratricide demonstrates a complete rejection of Israelite covenantal morality.

Verse 6

The 'house of Millo' refers to a citadel or stronghold within Shechem. Making Abimelech king represents the first attempt at establishing an Israelite monarchy outside of divine appointment, a deeply corrupt beginning.

Verse 7

Mount Gerizim was the mountain of blessing (Deut 11:29). Jotham delivers his curse from this high, symbolic place, giving his words prophetic authority.

Verse 8

Jotham's Fable is the oldest known fable in the Bible. It functions as a sharp political critique, illustrating that those truly worthy of leadership (olive, fig, vine) refuse power, while the worthless (bramble) eagerly grasps it.

Verse 13

Wine is described here as cheering 'God and man.' This reflects its use in sacrificial offerings (libations) and communal worship, demonstrating its religious and social worth.

Verse 15

The bramble (a thorny bush, good only for burning) offers no true protection ('shadow') but demands absolute trust. The threat of fire symbolizes the destructive nature of Abimelech’s rule.

Verse 20

This is the curse proper. Jotham predicts mutual destruction, where the 'fire' (violence and ruin) will consume both the illegitimate king (Abimelech) and those who installed him (Shechem).

Verse 22

Abimelech's reign is brief (three years), suggesting its instability and illegitimacy in the eyes of the narrator.

Verse 23

God uses the 'evil spirit' (often translated as discord or mischief) as an instrument of divine justice, ensuring that the human wickedness leads to its own ordained punishment.

Verse 24

The narrator explicitly links the subsequent violence to the need for retribution for the blood of Gideon's sons, underscoring the theological theme of retributive justice operating throughout Judges.

Verse 27

Their feasting and cursing Abimelech while worshipping their own god (Baal-Berith) highlights the deep political and religious instability that marked Abimelech's rule.

Verse 28

Gaal challenges Abimelech's legitimacy, suggesting loyalty should instead lie with the ancient Canaanite ruling family of Shechem ('men of Hamor'), reflecting a desire to return to pre-Israelite leadership.

Verse 30

Zebul, the ruler of the city, remains loyal to Abimelech, perhaps fearing the consequences of Gaal's ambition. This internal division within Shechem weakens the city significantly.

Verse 45

Sowing a captured city with salt was a symbolic act, intended to curse the land and ensure it remained barren and uninhabitable, signifying total destruction and desecration.

Verse 46

The fortress ('hold') of the house of Berith (Baal of the Covenant) served as a sanctuary. Fleeing there indicates they sought protection from their pagan deity, which ultimately failed.

Verse 49

Abimelech's use of fire to burn the refuge echoes the fire predicted in Jotham's curse (v. 15, 20), fulfilling the first half of the prophecy against Shechem.

Verse 53

The use of a millstone—a common, domestic object—and the agent being a nameless woman highlights the ignominy of Abimelech's fate.

Verse 54

Abimelech’s concern about being killed by a woman reveals the extreme patriarchal shame associated with such a death in ancient warfare, driving his final desperate command.

Verse 56

This concluding statement provides the theological summation of the story. Abimelech’s entire career, from the fratricide to his death, is presented as God’s judgment (rendering wickedness) upon him.

Verse 57

The chapter concludes by confirming that Jotham's curse (v. 20) was fully executed by God, serving as a powerful warning against illegitimate rule and covenant infidelity.

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