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Abimelech Murders His Brothers

Now Abimelech son of Jerub Baal[a] went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives.[b] He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family,[c] “Tell[d] all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want[e] 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.’”[f] His mother’s relatives[g] spoke on his behalf to[h] all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal.[i] The leaders were drawn to Abimelech;[j] they said, “He is our close relative.”[k] They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous[l] men as his followers.[m] He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half brothers,[n] the seventy legitimate[o] sons of Jerub Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub Baal’s youngest son, escaped,[p] because he hid. All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar[q] in Shechem.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:1 sn That is, Gideon, and so throughout Judges 9. Gideon was given the name Jerub Baal (meaning “Let Baal fight”) in Judges 6:32.
  2. Judges 9:1 tn Heb “brothers.”
  3. Judges 9:1 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
  4. Judges 9:2 tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”
  5. Judges 9:2 tn Heb “What good is it to you?”
  6. Judges 9:2 tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”
  7. Judges 9:3 tn Heb “brothers.”
  8. Judges 9:3 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
  9. Judges 9:3 tn Heb “and all these words.”
  10. Judges 9:3 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
  11. Judges 9:3 tn Heb “our brother.”
  12. Judges 9:4 tn Heb “empty and reckless.”
  13. Judges 9:4 tn Heb “and they followed him.”
  14. Judges 9:5 tn Heb “his brothers.”
  15. Judges 9:5 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  16. Judges 9:5 tn Heb “remained.”
  17. Judges 9:6 tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) should be מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).

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, 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. 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. 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. 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. And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all [a]the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the [b]oak of the [c]pillar that was in Shechem.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:6 Or, Beth-millo
  2. Judges 9:6 Or, terebinth
  3. Judges 9:6 Or, garrison