23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: |
24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. |
25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech. |
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. |
27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. |
28 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 the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? |
29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. |
30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. |
31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. |
32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: |
33 And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. |
34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. |
35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. |
36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. |
37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. |
38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. |
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. |
40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. |
41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. |
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. |
43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. |
44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them. |
45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. |
46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. |
47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. |
48 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, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. |
49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. |
50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. |
51 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 it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. |
52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. |
53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull. |
54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. |
55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. |
56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: |
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. |
9 Abimelech usurps the government at Shechem, Jdg 9:1-6.
Jotham's parable, Jdg 9:7-21.
Strife between Abimelech and the Shechemites, Jdg 9:22-41.
The slaughter of the Shechemites, Jdg 9:42-49.
The death of Abimelech, fulfilling Jotham's curse, Jdg 9:50-57.
9:23 God sent - God gave the devil commission to work upon their minds.
9:24 The cruelty - That is, the punishment of the cruelty.
9:25 For him - To seize his person. Robbed all - Such as favoured or served Abimelech; for to such only their commission reached, though it may be, they went beyond their bounds, and robbed all passengers promiscuously.
9:26 Gaal - It is not known who he was; but it is evident, he was a man very considerable for wealth, and strength and interest; and ill - pleased with Abimelech's power. Went to Shechem - By his presence and council to animate and assist them against Abimelech.
9:27 Went out - Which, 'till his coming they durst not do, for fear of Abimelech. Made merry - Both from the custom of rejoicing, and singing songs in vintage time, and for the hopes of their redemption from Abimelech's tyranny. Their goals - Baal - berith, ver. Jdg 9:4, either to beg his help against Abimelech, or to give him thanks for the hopes of recovering their liberty. Eat and drink - To the honour of their idols, and out of the oblations made to them, as they used to do to the honour of Jehovah, and out of his sacrifices. Cursed - Either by reviling him after their manner, or, rather in a more solemn and religious manner, cursing him by their god, as Goliath did David.
9:28 Who is Abimelech - What is he but a base - born person, a cruel tyrant, and one every way unworthy to govern you? Who is Shechem - That is, Abimelech, named in the foregoing words, and described in those which follow. He is called Shechem for the Shechemite. The sense is, who is this Shechemite? For so he was by the mother's side, born of a woman of your city, and she but his concubine and servant; why should you submit to one so basely descended? Of Jerubbaal - Of Gideon, a person famous only by his fierceness against that Baal which you justly honour and reverence, whose altar he overthrew, and whose worship he endeavoured to abolish. And Zebul - And you are so mean spirited, that you do not only submit to him, but suffer his very servants to bear rule over you; and particularly, this ignoble and hateful Zebul. Serve, etc - If you love bondage, call in the old master and lord of the place; chuse not an upstart, as Abimelech is; but rather take one of the old flock, one descended from Hamor, Gen 34:2, who did not carry himself like a tyrant, as Abimelech did; but like a father of his city. This he might speak sincerely, as being himself a Canaanite and Shechemite, and possibly came from one of those little ones whom Simeon and Levi spared when they slew all the grown males, Gen 34:29. And it may be that he was one of the royal blood, a descendent of Hamor, who hereby sought to insinuate himself into the government, as it follows, ver. Jdg 9:29.Would to God that this people were under my hand; which he might judge the people more likely to chuse both because they were now united with the Canaanites in religion; and because their present distress might oblige them to put themselves under him, a valiant and expert commander.
9:29 My hand - That is, under my command; I wish you would unanimously submit to me, as your captain and governor; for he found them divided; and some of them hearkening after Abimelech, whom they had lately rejected, according to the levity of the popular humour. I would remove - As you have driven him out of your city, I would drive him out of your country.He said - He sent this message or challenge to him.Increase thine army - I desire not to surprise thee at any disadvantage; strengthen thyself as much as thou canst, and come out into the open field, that thou and I may decide it by our arms.
9:35 And stood - To put his army in order, and to conduct them against Abimelech, whom he supposed to be at a great distance.
9:36 To Zebul - Who concealed the anger which he had conceived, ver. Jdg 9:30, and pretended compliance with him in this expedition, that he might draw him forth into the field where Abimelech might have the opportunity of fighting with him, and overthrowing him.The shadow - For in the morning, as this was, and in the evening, the shadows are longest, and move quickest.
9:38 Where is now, etc - Now shew thyself a man, and fight valiantly for thyself and people.
9:40 He fled - Being surprised by the unexpected coming of Abimelech, and probably not fully prepared for the encounter.
9:41 Dwelt at Arumah - He did not prosecute his victory, but retreated to Arumah, to see whether the Shechemites would not of themselves return to his government, or else, that being hereby grown secure, he might have the greater advantage against them. Thrust out - It seems the same night. Probably the multitude, which is generally light and unstable, were now enraged against Gaal, suspecting him of cowardice or ill - conduct.Zebul's interest was not so considerable with them, that he could prevail with them either to kill Gaal and his brethren, or to yield themselves to Abimelech; and therefore he still complies with the people, and waits for a fairer opportunity.
9:42 Went out - to their usual employments about their land.
9:43 Three companies - Whereof he kept one with himself, ver. Jdg 9:44, and put the rest under other commanders.
9:44 Entering of the gate - To prevent their retreat into the city, and give the other two companies opportunity to cut them off.
9:45 With salt - In token of his desire of their utter and irrecoverable destruction.
9:46 The tower - A strong place belonging to the city of Shechem, made for its defence without the city. Berith - Or, Baal - berith, ver. Jdg 9:4. Hither they fled out of the town belonging to it, fearing the same event with Shechem; and here they thought to be secure; partly by the strength of the place, partly by the religion of it, thinking that either their god would protect them there, or that Abimelech would spare them out of pity to that god.
9:48 Zalmon - A place so called from its shadiness.
9:50 Thebez - Another town near to Shechem; and, as it seems, within its territory.
9:51 And all - All that were not slain in the taking of the town.Top of the tower - Which was flat and plain, after their manner of building.
9:53 Mill - stone - Such great stones no doubt they carried up with them, whereby they might defend themselves, or offend those who assaulted them. Here the justice of God is remarkable in suiting the punishment to his sin. He slew his brethren upon a stone, ver. Jdg 9:5, and he loseth his own life by a stone.
9:54 A women - Which was esteemed a matter of disgrace.
9:56 Wickedness - In rooting out, as far as he could, the name and memory of his father.
9:57 Render upon their heads - Thus God preserved the honour of his government, and gave warning to all ages, to expect blood for blood.