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Judges 9:26-41
New English Translation

26 Gaal son of Ebed[a] came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him.[b] 27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes,[c] squeezed out the juice,[d] and celebrated. They came to the temple[e] of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 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?[f] Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech?[g] 29 If only these men[h] were under my command,[i] I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech,[j] “Muster[k] your army and come out for battle!”[l]

30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious.[m] 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah,[n] reporting, “Beware![o] Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming[p] to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you.[q] 32 Now, come up[r] at night with your men[s] and set an ambush in the field outside the city.[t] 33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.”[u]

34 So Abimelech and all his men came up[v] at night and set an ambush outside Shechem; they divided into[w] four units. 35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 36 Gaal saw the men[x] and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills—it just looks like men.”[y] 37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center[z] of the land. A unit[aa] is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.”[ab] 38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words,[ac] ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men[ad] you insulted?[ae] Go out now and fight them!” 39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out[af] and fought Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal[ag] ran from him. Many Shechemites[ah] fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 41 Abimelech went back[ai] to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.[aj]

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:26 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.
  2. Judges 9:26 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).
  3. Judges 9:27 tn Heb “vineyards.”
  4. Judges 9:27 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.
  5. Judges 9:27 tn Heb “house.”
  6. Judges 9:28 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
  7. Judges 9:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. Judges 9:29 tn Heb “people.”
  9. Judges 9:29 tn Heb “in my hand.”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.
  10. Judges 9:29 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….’”
  11. Judges 9:29 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
  12. Judges 9:29 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.
  13. Judges 9:30 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
  14. Judges 9:31 tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (betormah) 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, baʾrumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of ʾalef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.
  15. Judges 9:31 tn Heb “Look!”
  16. Judges 9:31 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.
  17. Judges 9:31 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).
  18. Judges 9:32 tn Heb “arise.”
  19. Judges 9:32 tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”
  20. Judges 9:32 tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  21. Judges 9:33 tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”
  22. Judges 9:34 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”
  23. Judges 9:34 tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  24. Judges 9:36 tn Heb “the people” (also in vv. 38, 43, 48). These were warriors, so “men” has been used in the translation, since in ancient Israelite culture soldiers would have been exclusively males.
  25. Judges 9:36 tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”
  26. Judges 9:37 tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.
  27. Judges 9:37 tn Heb “head.”
  28. Judges 9:37 tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.
  29. Judges 9:38 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
  30. Judges 9:38 tn Heb “the people.”
  31. Judges 9:38 tn Or “despised.”
  32. Judges 9:39 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
  33. Judges 9:40 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. Judges 9:40 tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.
  35. Judges 9:41 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.
  36. Judges 9:41 tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”
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Judges 9:26-41
Lexham English Bible

26 And Gaal son of Ebel and his relatives came, and they crossed over into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem gave him confidence.[a] 27 They went out into the field and harvested their vineyards and trod them, and they held a festival.[b] And they went into the temple[c] of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul his chief officer?[d] Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem. Why should we serve him?[e] 29 If only this people were in my command![f] Then I would remove Abimelech, and I would have said,[g] ‘Increase your army and come out!’”

30 When Zebul the commander of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he became angry,[h] 31 and he sent messengers to Abimelech in Tormah, saying, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his relatives are coming to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. 32 So then, get up by night, you and the army that is with you, and lie in ambush in the field. 33 And in the morning at sunrise, get up and rush the city; and look, when he and the troops who are with him come out to you, you must act according to whatever opportunity offers itself.[i]

34 So Abimelech and all the army that was with him got up by night, and they lay in ambush against Shechem in four divisions.[j] 35 Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, and Abimelech and the army that was with him got up from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the army, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the top of the mountains!” And Zebul said to him, “The shadows of the mountains look like people to you.”[k] 37 And Gaal spoke again[l] and said, “Look, people are coming down from Tabbur-erez, and one division[m] is coming from the direction of Elon-meonenim.”[n] 38 And Zebul said to him, “Where then is your boast,[o] you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the army that you rejected? Please, go out now and fight against them.”[p] 39 So Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought against Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; many fell slain up to the entrance of the gate. 41 So Abimelech resided at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives[q] from living in Shechem.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:26 Literally “put confidence into him”
  2. Judges 9:27 Literally “made a rejoicing”
  3. Judges 9:27 Or “house”
  4. Judges 9:28 Or “overseer”
  5. Judges 9:28 That is, Abimelech
  6. Judges 9:29 Literally “were in my hand”
  7. Judges 9:29 Hebrew “he said”; the translation “I would have said” follows the LXX
  8. Judges 9:30 Literally “his nose became hot”
  9. Judges 9:33 Literally “you must do to him just as it will find your hand”
  10. Judges 9:34 Or “companies”
  11. Judges 9:36 Literally “the shadows of the mountains you are seeing as men”
  12. Judges 9:37 Literally “And he did again again Gaal to speak”
  13. Judges 9:37 Or “company”
  14. Judges 9:37 Or “the Sorcerer’s Oak”
  15. Judges 9:38 Literally “is your mouth”
  16. Judges 9:38 Hebrew “against him”
  17. Judges 9:41 Or “brothers”
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