Judges 9:23-57

A.M. 2771. B.C. 1233. An. Ex. Is. 258. God.That is, God permitted the evil spirit of jealousy, treachery, and discord, to break out between Abimelech and the Shechemites.

15,20; 1Sa 16:14-16; 18:9,10; 1Ki 12:15; 22:22,23; 2Ch 10:15

2Ch 18:19-22; Isa 19:2,14; 2Th 2:11,12

dealt.

16; Isa 33:1; Mt 7:2

That the.

1Sa 15:33; 1Ki 2:32; Es 9:25; Ps 7:16; Mt 23:34-36

aided him in the killing of. Heb. strengthened his hands tokill. Sooner or later, God will make inquisition for blood, and will return it on the heads of those that shed it. Accessaries will be reckoned with, as well as principals, in that and other sins. The Shechemites, who countenanced Abimelech's pretensions, aided and abetted him in his bloody project, and avowed the fact by making him king after he had done it, must fall with him, fall by him, and fall first. Those that combine together to do wickedly, are justly dashed in pieces one against another. Blood cannot be a lasting cement to any interest.

Jos 8:4,12,13; Pr 1:11,12

brethren.

Ge 13:8; 19:7

merry. or, songs.

Isa 16:9,10; 24:7-9; Jer 25:30; Am 6:3-6

the house.

4; 16:23; Ex 32:6,19; Da 5:1-4,23

did eat.

Isa 22:12-14; Lu 12:19,20; 17:26-29

cursed.

Le 24:11; 1Sa 17:43; Ps 109:17

Who is Abimelech.

1Sa 25:10; 2Sa 20:1; 1Ki 12:16

Hamor.

Ge 34:2,6

would to God.The very words and conduct of a sly, hypocritical demagogue.

2Sa 15:4; 1Ki 20:11; Ps 10:3; Ro 1:30,31

And he said.Rather, "and I would say to Abimelech," as the LXX. renders; for as Dr. Wall observes, this was probably not said in the presence of Abimelech; but at an intemperate feast, in his absence, when he boasted he would challenge him.

Increase thine army.

2Sa 2:14-17; 2Ki 14:8; 18:23; Isa 36:8,9

kindled. or, hot.

30

privily. Heb. craftily, or, to Tormah. they fortify.Under pretence of repairing the walls and towers, they were actually putting the place in a state of defence, intending to seize on the government as soon as they found Abimelech coming against them.

31

by night.

Job 24:14-17; Ps 36:4; Pr 1:11-16; 4:16; Ro 3:15

as thou shalt find. Heb. as thine hand shall find.

Le 25:26; *marg:

1Sa 10:7; 25:8; Ec 9:10

34

Gaal.Of this person we know no more than is here recorded. He was probably one of the descendants of the Canaanites, who hoped, from the state of the public mind and their disaffection to Abimelech, to cause a revolution, and thus to restore the ancient government as it was under Hamor, the father of Shechem. Josephus says he was a man of authority, who sojourned with them, with his armed men and kinsmen; and that the Shechemites desired that he would allow them a guard during the vintage.

the people.

44

seest the shadow.Doubdan states, that in some parts of the Holy Land there are many detached rocks scattered up and down, some growing out of the ground, and others fragments broken off from rocky precipices, the shadow of which, it appears, Josephus thought might be most naturally imagined to look like troops of men at a distance, rather than that of the mountains; for he represents Zebul as saying to Gaal, that he mistook the shadow of the rocks for men.

Eze 7:7; Mr 8:24

middle. Heb. navel. Meonenim. or, the regarders of thetimes.

De 18:14

28,29; 2Sa 2:26,27; 2Ki 14:8-14; Jer 2:28

39

he fled before.

1Ki 20:18-21,30

Arumah.This place appears from the next verse to have been near Shechem; and is perhaps the same as Ruma, a village of Galilee, mentioned by Josephus, Bell. 1. iii. c. 9.

Zebul.

28,30

42

43

rushed forward.

15,20; Ga 5:15

he took.

20

beat.

De 29:23; 1Ki 12:25; 2Ki 3:25; Ps 107:34; *marg:

Eze 47:11; Zep 2:9; Jas 2:13

sowed.Salt in small quantities renders land extremely fertile; but too much of it destroys vegetation. Every place, says Pliny, in which salt is found is barren, and produces nothing. Hence the sowing of a place with salt was a custom in different nations to express permanent desolation. Sigonius observes, that when Milan was taken, A.D. 1162, the walls were razed, and it was sown with salt. And Brantome informs us, that it was an ancient custom in France, to sow the house of a man with salt, who had been declared a traitor to his king. Charles IX., king of France, the most base and perfidious of human beings, caused the house of Admiral Coligni (whom he and the Duke of Guise caused to be murdered, with thousands more of Protestants, on the eve of St. Bartholomew, 1572,) to be sown with salt!

an hold.

4,27; 8:33; 1Ki 8:26; 2Ki 1:2-4; Ps 115:8; Isa 28:15-18; 37:38

47

Zalmon.

Ps 68:14

What ye.

7:17,18; Pr 1:11,12

me do. Heb. I have done.

put them.

15,20; Ga 5:15; Jas 3:16

Thebez.According to Eusebius, thirteen miles from Shechem, towards Scythopolis.

50

51

48,49; 2Ki 14:10; 15:16

woman.

15,20; 2Sa 11:21; 20:21; Job 31:3; Jer 49:20; 50:45

and all to.An antiquated expression, meaning "full intention" to complete an object. "All to," observes Dr. Johnson, "is a particle of mere enforcement." The original is {wattaritz eth gulgalto,} which is simply as the LXX. render [kai eklase to kranion autou,] "and she brake his skull." Plutarch relates, that Pyrrhus was killed at the siege of Thebes, by a piece of a tile, which a woman threw upon his head.

Draw thy.

1Sa 31:4,5

And his young man.It was a disgrace to be killed by a woman.

2Sa 18:16; 20:21,22; 1Ki 22:35,36; Pr 22:10

God rendered.Both the fratricide Abimelech and the unprincipled men of Shechem had the iniquity visited upon them of which they had been guilty. Man's judgment may be avoided; but there is no escape from that of God. How many houses have been sown with salt in France, by the just judgment of God, for the massacre of the Protestants on the eve of St. Bartholomew! See Note on ver. 45.

24; Job 31:3; Ps 9:12; 11:6; 58:10,11; 94:23; Pr 5:22; Mt 7:2

Ac 28:4; Ga 6:7; Re 19:20,21

upon them.

20,45; Jos 6:26; 1Ki 16:34

Judges 12:1-6

1 The Ephraimites, quarrelling with Jephthah, and discerned by Shibboleth, are slain by the Gileadites.

7 Jephthah dies.

8 Ibzan, who had thirty sons, and thirty daughters;

11 and Elon;

13 and Abdon, who had forty sons, and thirty nephews, judge Israel.

gathered. Heb. were called. Wherefore.

8:1; 2Sa 19:41-43; Ps 109:4; Ec 4:4; Joh 10:32

we will burn.

14:15; 15:6; Pr 27:3,4; Jas 3:16; 4:1,2

I and my.

11:12-33

put.

9:17; 1Sa 19:5; 28:21; Job 13:14; Ps 119:109; Ro 16:4; Re 12:11

wherefore.

11:27; 2Ch 13:12

and the men.

11:10; Nu 32:39,40; De 3:12-17

fugitives.

1Sa 25:10; Ne 4:4; Ps 78:9; Pr 12:13; 15:1

3:28; 7:24; Jos 2:7; 22:11

Say now.

Mt 26:73; Mr 14:70

Shibboleth. which signifieth a stream, or flood.

Ps 69:2,15; Isa 27:12; *Heb:{Shibboleth} also means an ear of corn, (Job 24:24,) and {sibboleth} signifies a burden, (Ex 6:6;) and a heavy burden they were obliged to bear who could not pronounce this test letter. It is well known that several nations cannot pronounce certain letters. The sound of th cannot be pronounced by the Persians, no more than by some of our Continental neighbours; though it is a common sound among the Arabians. To this day, many of the German Jews cannot articulate [t] th, for which they substitute ss; thus for {baith,} a house, they say {baiss.}

there fell.

Pr 17:14; 18:19; Ec 10:12; Mt 12:25; Ga 5:15

forty.{Arbäim ooshenayim aleph,} "forty and two thousand." Here the [w,] and, may mean simple addition; and this number may denote 2,040 and not 42,000. At the last census of the Israelites (Nu 26:37) the whole tribe of Ephraim only amounted to 32,500, compared with which this last number appears far too great.

2 Samuel 20:1

1 By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba makes a party in Israel.

3 David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life.

4 Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab.

14 Joab pursues Sheba unto Abel.

16 A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head.

23 David's officers.

And there.

19:41-43; Ps 34:19

a man.

23:6; De 13:13; Jud 19:22; 1Sa 2:12; 30:22; Ps 17:13; Pr 26:21

Hab 1:12,13

he blew.

15:10; Jud 3:27; Pr 24:21,22; 25:8

We have.

19:43; 1Ki 12:16; 2Ch 10:6; Lu 19:14,27

2 Samuel 20:6

Abishai.

2:18; 3:30,39; 10:9,10,14; 18:2,12; 21:17; 23:18; 1Sa 26:6

1Ch 11:20; 18:12

do us.

19:7

thy lord's.

11:11; 1Ki 1:33

escape us. Heb. deliver himself from our eyes.

1 Kings 12:16-20

What portion.

2Sa 20:1; 2Ch 10:16

to your tents.

22:17,36

now see.

11:13,34,36,39; 2Sa 7:15,16; Ps 2:1-6; 76:10; 89:29-37; 132:17

Isa 7:2,6,7; 9:6,7; Jer 23:5,6; 33:15,16,21; Lu 19:14,27

So Israel.

Jud 8:35; 2Sa 15:13; 16:11

the children.

11:13,36; 2Ch 10:17; 11:13-17

Adoram.

4:6; 5:14

Adoniram.

2Sa 20:24; 2Ch 10:18

Hadoram. all Israel.

Ex 17:4; Nu 14:10; 2Ch 24:21; Ac 5:26; 7:57,58

made speed. Heb. strengthened himself. flee to Jerusalem.

20:18-20; Pr 28:1,2; Am 2:16

Israel.

1Sa 10:19; 2Ki 17:21; 2Ch 10:19; 13:5-7,17; Isa 7:17

rebelled. or, fell away.

Heb 6:6

unto this day.

Jos 4:9

and made him.

1Sa 10:24; Ho 8:4

none that followed.

17; 11:13,32; Ho 11:12

Isaiah 9:20-21

And he.

49:26; Le 26:26-29; Jer 19:9; La 4:10

snatch. Heb. cut.

Ephraim.

Jud 7:2; 1Sa 14:20; 2Ki 15:30; 2Ch 28:6-8; Mt 24:10; Ga 5:15

For all this.

12,17; 5:25; 10:4; Jer 4:8

Isaiah 19:2-3

I will.

13,14; 9:21; Jud 7:22; 9:23; 1Sa 14:16,20; 2Ch 20:22,23; Eze 38:21

Mt 12:25; Re 17:12-17

set. Heb. mingle.

the spirit.This is a prophecy of what took place in Egypt about twenty-two years after the destruction of Sennacherib's army; when, upon the death of Tirhakah, (B.C. 688,) not being able to settle about the succession, they continued for two years in a state of anarchy, confusion, and civil wars; which was followed by the tyranny of twelve princes, who, dividing the country among them, governed it for fifteen years; and at last, by the sole dominion of Psammiticus, which he held for fifty-four years.

1,11-13; 57:16; 1Sa 25:37; Ps 76:12; Jer 46:15; Eze 21:7; 22:14

fail. Heb. be emptied. and I.

14:27; 2Sa 15:31; 17:14,23; 2Ch 25:16-20; Job 5:12,13; Pr 21:30

1Co 3:19,20

destroy. Heb. swallow up.

Ps 107:27; *marg:

and they.

8:19; 15:2; 44:25; 47:12; 1Ch 10:13; Da 2:2; 4:6,7; 5:7