‏ Judges 9

The Usurpation of Abimelech

This section describes how Abimelech, the son of Gideon’s concubine, used ambition and cunning to make himself ruler. Abimelech’s actions were driven by pride and a desire for power, not by God’s calling. The people of Shechem supported him because they hoped to benefit from his rise, but they did not seek God’s guidance. Abimelech’s path to power was marked by cruelty and violence, leading to a tragic beginning for his rule.

v. 1: Abimelech wanted to be a ruler over Israel after his father’s death. His ambition was likely encouraged by his mother and by the meaning of his name, which suggests royalty. This desire to rule was against his father Gideon’s wishes, since Gideon said, No son of mine will rule over you (Judges 8:23 ^a). Abimelech was not chosen by God, nor was there a need for a new judge at that time. He wanted power only for himself, not for the good of the people.

v. 2-3: Abimelech started his plan by convincing his mother’s family in Shechem to support him. Shechem was an important city, and if its leaders backed him, others might follow. Abimelech suggested that it would be better to have one king, himself, rather than many rulers, hinting that Gideon’s other sons wanted to rule. There is no evidence that Gideon’s sons wanted to be rulers; they believed that the Lord should rule over Israel (Judges 8:23 ^b). Abimelech used his family connection to win support, saying, Remember that I am your bone and your flesh (Judges 9:2 ^c). The leaders of Shechem liked the idea because they thought it would make their city powerful, so they supported him as their brother.

–

v. 4: To help Abimelech, the leaders of Shechem gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. This money came from offerings made to their idol, showing they were deeply involved in idolatry. Abimelech used this money to hire worthless men—people with bad reputations and no morals—to follow him. These men were willing to do his bidding because they had nothing to lose.

v. 5: With his group of followers, Abimelech went to his father’s house and killed his seventy brothers, all except one who escaped. This was a violent and public act, showing how dangerous ambition can be. Abimelech’s desire for power made him ignore family ties and conscience. The same number of Ahab’s sons were killed in Samaria (2 Kings 10:1, 7 ^d). Being from a great family can sometimes bring danger rather than safety. It is a warning that high status can also bring risk.

v. 6: After killing his brothers, Abimelech was made king by the people of Shechem and the house of Millo, which was like the city’s council. They did not ask God if they should have a king or who it should be. Instead of punishing Abimelech for his crimes, they rewarded him with a crown. Choosing a king who had killed his own brothers showed they cared more about power than justice. The rest of Israel did nothing to stop this, showing how far they had fallen from faith and justice. They did not try to protect Gideon’s family or punish Abimelech. This lack of gratitude toward Gideon's house was already warned about (Judges 8:35 ^e), and now it came true.

Jotham's Parable

This section tells the story of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, who spoke out against Abimelech and the people of Shechem. Jotham bravely gave a warning about the dangers of supporting Abimelech. He used a parable, a story about trees choosing a king, to show the foolishness of their actions. Jotham did not try to take power for himself or start a rebellion. Instead, he offered wise advice and a serious warning about the consequences of their choices.

v. 7: Jotham, who escaped when Abimelech killed his brothers (Judges 9:5 ^f), spoke to the people of Shechem from the top of Mount Gerizim. He called out, Hearken unto me, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you . He wanted them to listen carefully because their response would affect whether God listened to them. If we want God to hear our prayers, we must be willing to hear reproof and truth (Proverbs 28:9 ^g).

v. 8–13: Jotham told a parable about trees looking for a king. They first asked the olive tree, fig tree, and vine, but all refused. These trees preferred to keep doing good and producing fruit, rather than ruling over others. For example, the olive said, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and be promoted over the trees? (Judges 9:9 ^h). The fig tree and vine gave similar answers (Judges 9:11, 13 ⁱ). The lesson is that wise and good people often avoid positions of power, choosing instead to help others in quiet, useful ways. Leadership can bring stress and cause people to lose the good qualities they had before.

– – – – –

v. 14–15: Finally, the trees asked the bramble (a thorn bush) to be their king. The bramble was worthless and even dangerous. It accepted right away and said, If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow (Judges 9:15 ^j). But a bramble gives little shade and can hurt those who get too close. The bramble also threatened, If not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon (Judges 9:15 ^k). This shows how foolish it is to choose a harmful leader just because he is available, and how quickly such a leader can become a threat. Sometimes, people choose the worst possible leaders, and those leaders often brag and make empty promises (Ecclesiastes 10:6; Psalm 12:8 ^l).

–

v. 16–18: Jotham then explained the meaning of his parable. He reminded the people of Shechem about all the good things Gideon had done for them (Judges 9:17 ^m). Gideon risked his life to save Israel, but now the people had paid him back with evil by killing his sons and making Abimelech king, who was only the son of Gideon's maidservant. This was a great insult to Gideon’s memory.

– –

v. 19–20: Jotham challenged the people: if they had acted honestly and fairly, then may they be blessed with Abimelech as their king (Judges 9:19 ⁿ). But if they had acted wickedly, then let fire come out from Abimelech to destroy the people of Shechem, and from Shechem to destroy Abimelech (Judges 9:20 ^o). In other words, their evil actions would bring disaster on both sides.

–

v. 21: After finishing his speech, Jotham escaped to a place called Beer. He stayed there to hide from Abimelech. Jotham’s life became difficult, even though he was from a noble family. Sometimes, even those with a good upbringing and background must face hard times for doing what is right.

God Sends Division and Judgment on Abimelech

This section describes what happened after Abimelech made himself king over Israel. God allowed trouble to come between Abimelech and the people of Shechem because of the evil they had done, especially the murder of Gideon's sons. The story shows how God brings justice, even when it seems delayed, and how those who do evil often destroy themselves in the end.

v. 22: After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years, things began to change. His rule was not peaceful or blessed.

v. 23: God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. They turned against each other. This was God’s way of starting to punish them for their sins .

v. 24: God did this so that the murder of Gideon’s seventy sons would be punished. The guilt for their blood would fall on Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem who helped him kill his brothers.

v. 25: The people of Shechem set ambushes on mountain tops to rob everyone who passed by. This was a sign that their city was becoming lawless and dangerous, and it weakened Abimelech’s power.

v. 26: Then Gaal son of Ebed came to Shechem with his relatives, and the people of Shechem trusted him. This introduced new trouble for Abimelech.

v. 27: The people went out into the fields, gathered grapes, made wine, and held a festival in the temple of their god. They ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. Their hearts were turning away from him.

v. 28: Gaal questioned why they should serve Abimelech, who was not even a true Shechemite but a son of Jerubbaal (Gideon). He tried to convince the people to follow him instead.

v. 29: Gaal boasted that if he were in charge, he would get rid of Abimelech. He challenged Abimelech to come out and fight.

v. 30: Zebul, the governor of the city and a supporter of Abimelech, heard Gaal’s words and became angry.

v. 31: Zebul secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, telling him about Gaal’s rebellion and advising him to come and attack the city by surprise.

v. 32: Zebul told Abimelech to go by night and hide in the fields, ready to attack in the morning.

v. 33: In the morning, at sunrise, Abimelech should rush upon the city when the people came out, and then attack Gaal.

v. 34: Abimelech and his men did as Zebul said. They divided into four groups and lay in wait around Shechem during the night.

v. 35: When Gaal came out and stood at the city gate, Abimelech and his men rose up from their hiding places.

v. 36: Gaal saw people coming and told Zebul, but Zebul tried to trick him, saying he was just seeing shadows of the mountains.

v. 37: Gaal insisted he saw people coming down from the hills, and another group coming from the direction of the soothsayers’ tree.

v. 38: Then Zebul challenged Gaal, saying, "Where is your big talk now? Go out and fight Abimelech as you said."

v. 39: Gaal led the people of Shechem out to fight Abimelech.

v. 40: Abimelech chased Gaal, and many of his followers were killed as they tried to escape.

v. 41: Gaal was driven out of Shechem, and Zebul would not let him or his family stay there any longer.

v. 42: The next day, people went out into the fields, and Abimelech attacked them.

v. 43: Abimelech divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. He attacked and killed many people.

v. 44: Abimelech and his group rushed forward and took control of the city gate. The other groups attacked those in the fields, killing them.

v. 45: Abimelech fought against the city all day, captured it, killed the people in it, destroyed the city, and scattered salt over it so nothing would grow there.

v. 46: When the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard about this, they fled to a stronghold in the temple of their god.

v. 47: Abimelech was told that all the leaders had gathered there.

v. 48: He went with his men to Mount Zalmon, cut branches from trees, and told his men to do the same.

v. 49: They piled the branches against the stronghold and set it on fire, killing everyone inside—about a thousand men and women.

The Death of Abimelech

This section describes the final downfall of Abimelech after he destroyed the people of Shechem. The city of Thebez, which was likely small and near Shechem, also became his target. Abimelech thought he could easily conquer Thebez as he did Shechem, but God had other plans. His pride and violence led to his own ruin, showing that God judges those who do evil, even if they seem successful for a time.

v. 50–51: Abimelech attacked Thebez and forced the people to hide in a strong tower within the city. He believed he could defeat them just as he had destroyed the people at the temple of Baal-berith. All the men and women of the city fled to the tower, locked themselves inside, and went up to the roof for safety. Abimelech did not realize that God’s judgment would soon fall on him.

–

v. 52: Abimelech came to attack the tower and approached its entrance to set it on fire, intending to burn it down just as he had done before at Shechem. Confident of victory, he thought this method would succeed again. However, this time his plan led to his downfall, showing that those who succeed once in a risky plan often wrongly assume it will always succeed (2 Samuel 11:20-21 ^p).

v. 53: As Abimelech neared the tower, a woman dropped a piece of a millstone from the roof onto his head, cracking his skull and causing a fatal injury. This act fulfilled the principle that evil pursues sinners, and even though Thebez seemed weak compared to Shechem, God used a simple act to defeat a powerful man.

v. 54: Mortally wounded, Abimelech quickly called his armor-bearer and asked him to kill him with a sword so that people would not say a woman had killed him. His pride was strong even in death, caring more about his reputation than his soul or seeking God’s mercy. The young man obeyed, and Abimelech died.

v. 55: When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home, and the conflict ended, restoring peace in the land.

v. 56: In this way, God repaid Abimelech for the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers, showing divine justice. God’s judgment was clear and just, demonstrating that evil does not go unpunished.

v. 57: God also punished the people of Shechem for their wickedness, fulfilling the curse pronounced by Jotham, Gideon’s son. This shows that God’s justice extends beyond individuals to entire communities that participate in evil (Judges 9:56-57 ^q).