The Book of Judges
Judges 9
Chapter IX · Vol. II, pp. 600–604
1 Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made king. 7 Jotham by a parable rebuketh them, and foretelleth their ruin. 22 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites against him. 30 Zebul revealeth it. 34 Abimelech overcometh them, and soweth the city with salt. 46 He burneth the hold of the god Berith. 50 At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone. 56 Jotham's curse is fulfilled.
1 And Abimelecha the son of Jerubbaal1 went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and bcommuned with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
B.C. 1172 or 1213.
1 The last verse of the foregoing chapter closed with recording the ingratitude of Israel to Gideon and his family. This ingratitude to man had commenced with ingratitude to God, and both are punished by the ambition and tyranny of Abimelech.—Note, There are many ways in which God punishes irreligious nations, such as war, pestilence, and famine; but two others are not less common, nor less terrible—the anarchy of the multitude—or the tyranny of an ambitious and successful leader.—C.
2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better2 for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also cthat I am your bone and your flesh.
2 Heb. What is good, whether, &c.
c Ge.29.14. 2 Sa.19.13. 1 Ch.11.1.
3 And his mother's brethren dspake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to 3follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
d Ps.10.3. Pr.1.11-14; 10.23; 7.21-23.
3 Heb. after.
4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith; wherewith Abimelech hired evain and light persons, which followed him.
5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and fslew his brethren, the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left; for he hid himself.
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the ghouse of Millo, and went and hmade Abimelech king, iby the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
g ver.20,22. 2 Sa.5.9. 2 Ki.12.20.
h 1 Sa.8.5,19,20; 10.24; 11.15. Ho.8.4; 13.10,11.
i Or, by the oak of the pillar, Jos.24.26. 1 Ki.12.1,20,25.
7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of kmount Gerizim,4 and lifted up his voice and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
8 The ltrees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them;5 and they said unto the olive-tree, mReign thou over us.
l 2 Ki.14.9. By this parable Jotham hints that as Abimelech, the basest of the family, had thrust himself into power, which his worthy father and brethren refused, it should issue in a plague to himself and his assistants.
5 The most ancient parable upon record.—C.
m ch.8.22.
9 But the olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they nhonour God and man, and go to be promoted6 over the trees?7
n Le.2.1. Ex.29.2,7; 35.14. 1 Ki.19.15. Ps.104.15. The oil anointed God's priests, served for light in his tabernacle, and was used in meat-offerings; and the wine cheered God as used in drink-offerings.
6 Heb. go up and down for other trees.
7 Man was honoured by oil; prophets, priests, and kings having, under the Jewish economy, been anointed to office by it. God was honoured by the burning of oil in the golden candlestick, and the use of it in some of his offerings.—C.
10 And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
11 But the fig-tree said unto them, oShould I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which pcheereth God and man,8 and go to be promoted over the trees?
p Nu.15.5,7,10. Ps.104.15. Pr.31.6.
8 That there are Christian sacrifices with which 'God is well pleased' the apostle testifies, He. 13. 16. Wine was an essential part of certain of the Mosaic sacrifices, the types and emblems of the true. Wine is therefore said to 'cheer' God, because the outpouring of it as a drink-offering was a godly renunciation of all abuse of his mercies; and it 'cheers' man, according to the text, not when abused as an unhallowed stimulant to luxury, but when used with thanksgiving, as prescribed to Timothy for his 'often infirmities,' or given as a restorative, as described by Solomon, to him 'that is ready to perish.'—C.
14 Then said all the trees unto the qbramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
q Or, thistle, 2 Ki.14.9.
15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in rmy shadow; and if not, slet fire come out of the bramble,9 and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
A.M. 2832 B.C. 1172
r Da.4.12. Is.30.2,3. Eze.17.23; 31.6,17. La.4.20.
s Eze.19.14. Da.3.22. Ex.15.9,10. ver.20,49.
9 'Bramble,' in the margin thistle. The Septuagint translates it by a word applied to a species of buckthorn, a plant transferred from Asia to Europe in the time of Augustus. The fruit is very abundant, its only claim to superiority; and its wood is said to be singularly combustible, and well calculated to aid in consuming its loftier subjects.—C.
16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made tAbimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with uJerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
t The bramble, ver. 14.
u ver.8,10,12.
17 (For my father fought for you, and xadventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;
18 And ye yare risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made zAbimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
y ver.3-5. Ps.109.4.
z ch.8.31; ver.6,14.
19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then arejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
20 But if not, blet fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to cBeer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
23 Then dGod sent an evil spirit2 between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
d ver.15,20. 2 Ch.10.15; 18.19,20. 1 Sa.16.14. Is.19.14; 33.1. 2 Th.2.11,12. Mat.7.2.
2 Of the invisible world of spirits we know nothing beyond the few facts recorded in Scripture. Amongst these, however, is the Satanic possession of wicked men, both as individuals and communities. As to the mode of this possession we may neither speculate nor dogmatize. It may be actual, as in the days of our Lord; or merely influential, by blinding the eyes or deceiving the heart. Still, in either or in any other manner, the evil spirit is commissioned, and sent to execute deserved judgment on worldly and ungodly men.—C.
24 That the ecruelty 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 killing3 of his brethren.
e 1 Sa.15.33. Est.9.25. Mat.23.34. Re.16.6; 13.10.
A.M. 2835 B.C. 1169
3 Heb. strengthened his hands to kill.
25 And the men of Shechem set fliers 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.4
f Jos.8.4,12. ch.20.29,37. Pr.1.11,12.
4 Not that they were robbing, for he was as unprincipled as themselves, but that they were lying in wait to seize or to slay him.—C.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren,g and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
27 And they went out unto the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and hmade merry, and went into the ihouse of their god, and did eat and drink, and kcursed5 Abimelech.
h Ps.4.7. Is.16.10. Am.6.1,3,5,6. ch.16.25; 18.20; 19.6,9. 2 Sa.13.28.
i ver.4; ch.16.23. Ex.32.6,19.
k 1 Sa.17.43. Le.24.11. Pr.24.24. Is.8.21.
5 Most probably induced the idolatrous priests to pronounce a solemn anathema against him.—C.
28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, lWho is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? Serve mthe men of Hamor the father of Shechem; for why should we serve him?6
l Ex.5.2. 1 Sa.25.10. 1 Ki.12.16. ver.1,30,36,46.
m Descendants, Ge.34.2,6.
6 Gaal was a Canaanite, the descendant of the ancient chiefs of Shechem. He was the instrument employed in stirring up strife between Abimelech and the Shechemites, some of whom appear to have been Canaanites. Gaal's words may be thus interpreted:—'Who is Abimelech? and who is Shechem?' i.e. the section of the Shechemites attached to Abimelech. He speaks contemptuously of them. Replying to his own questions he says: 'Is he (Abimelech) not son of Jerubbaal?' who overthrew the altar of our god. 'And is not Zebul, his officer, set over that section of the Shechemites who obey Abimelech?' Having thus shown that both Abimelech and his general should be treated with contempt, Gaal sets forward his own claims as descendant of the ancient princes of Shechem.—P.
29 And nwould to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, oIncrease thine army, and come out.7
30 And when Zebul, the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.8
8 Or, hot.
31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily,p saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
p Heb. craftily, or to Tormah, ver.41.
32 Now therefore qup by night,9 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 1them ras 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 sthe people that were with him, from lying in wait.
s One of the four companies, ver.44.
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 tseest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.2
t Mar.8.24. This he speaks in derision, as well as in order to deceive.
2 The probability is, that Gaal's vision was imperfect, and the treacherous Zebul deceives him to gain time.—C.
37 And Gaal spake again, and said, See, there come people down by the middle3 of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.4
3 Heb. navel.
A.M. 2835 B.C. 1169
4 Or, the regarders of times, soothsayers.
38 Then said Zebul unto him, uWhere 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.
u Where is now your courage and boasting? 2 Ki.14.8-14. ver.28,29.
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 dwelt5 at Arumah: and xZebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.6
5 Waiting for an opportunity to surprise Shechem.
x ver.28,30.
6 After Gaal's defeat it was easy to expel him, for an unprincipled people like the Shechemites can never be faithful to an unfortunate leader.—C.
42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field;7 and they told Abimelech.
7 About their business, or to do honour to Baal-berith their idol.
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, yrushed 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.
y ver.15,29.
45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and zbeat down the city, and sowed it with salt.8
z 1 Ki.12.25. De.29.23. Zep.2.9. Ps.107.34. ver.6; ch.1.7. Ja.2.13. Sowing a place with salt marked it out for perpetual desolation and barrenness.
8 Most or perhaps all kinds of salt in moderate quantity promotes vegetation, but in large quantity produces absolute sterility. And this latter fact is most probably the origin of sowing conquered cities with salt. Farther, as God ordered salt to be sprinkled on all his sacrifices, a custom which the heathen adopted also, either from the patriarchs or from Moses, it is not unlikely that the salting of ruins might have some reference to the city being made an offering. And as salt was used in confirmation of covenants, it might be employed to indicate the vowed determination of the conqueror never to rebuild it. Thus Hadrian strewed with salt the ruins of Jerusalem; and thus Frederick Barbarossa, in 1162, ploughed up the site of Milan and sowed it with salt.—C.
46 And when all the men of the tower9 of Shechem heard that, they entered into aan hold of the house of the god Berith.
9 Probably a castle in the vicinity of Shechem, to which a number of the people had fled for safety. Such towers or citadels are to be found in most considerable towns of western Asia. Distrusting the protection which this tower afforded, they retreated to the hold of the god Berith: probably some strong fortress of their temple, built perhaps upon one of the mountains in the neighbourhood. It may be compared, says Patrick, to the Roman capitol, or to the temple of Jerusalem in after times, which, Josephus says, was impregnable.—I.
a ch.8.33; ver.4,27. Ps.115.8. 1 Ki.18.26. Is.28.15. 2 Ki.1.2-4.
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 bZalmon, 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, cWhat ye have seen me do,1 make haste, and do as I have done.
49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and dput 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.
d ver.15,20.
50 Thene went Abimelech to Thebez,2 and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
e 2 Ki.14.10; 15.16. 2 Sa.11.21.
2 A town of Ephraim, 13 miles north-east of Shechem. It is now called Tubas, and stands on a hill side, just above a plain. The environs are rich, abounding in olives.—P.
51 But there was a strong tower3 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.
3 Such towers or citadels are almost universal in the cities, towns, and even villages of western Asia, sometimes as retreats for the authorities in popular commotions, and sometimes as places of security for the property of the inhabitants in the case of sudden invasion by marauders.—C.
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 fcast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.4
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f ver.15,20. 2 Sa.11.21. Je.50.45; 49.20. Job 31.3.
4 'All to break,' which implies intention; but it should be printed, 'all to brake,' to declare a fact. 'All to' was an ancient form of expressing in English altogether, entirely. The Hebrew and the Septuagint require this translation.—C.
54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, gA woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
g ch.4.21; 5.26,27. 1 Sa.31.4,5. 2 Sa.17.23. 1 Ki.16.18. Mat.27.5.
56 Thusi 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 kupon them came the curse of Jotham5 the son of Jerubbaal.
k ver.15,20. Jos.6.26. 1 Ki.16.34.
5 'The curse causeless will not come,' Pr. 26. 2; but 'the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked,' Pr.3.33. The curse of Jotham, therefore, was nothing in itself; but, in so far as it was of the Lord, and upon the wicked, it came in retributive judgment.—C.
Notes
[Ver. 4. They gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver. The value of the piece of silver cannot be positively ascertained, but there can be scarcely a doubt that it was the shekel, value little above two shillings. That so small an amount should hire a sufficient number of followers to render his success probable, will not astonish any one who is historically acquainted with the great value of money in certain periods and states of society, and also with the short period of service for which mercenaries have often been engaged.—Vain and light persons. Empty, unsettled, poor, and vagabond—having nothing to lose, and everything to covet, to hope for, or to plunder—the ordinary tools of all such unprincipled revolutions—the disgraces of the society that has reared them without education or employment; and finally, the scourge of Providence to a negligent and godless people. C.]
Ver. 6. [Millo signifies a rampart composed of two walls with the space between them filled up with earth or stones; then generally a fortress or citadel. 'All the house of Millo,' means all the inhabitants of the castle of Shechem; the same who are described in ver. 46 as 'all the men of the tower of Shechem.' 'The plain of the pillar,' or rather 'the oak of the pillar,' was apparently the oak that marked the spot of Jacob's sanctuary at Shechem, where he erected an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel, Ge. 33. 20; 35. 4. P.]
Ver. 54. [That men say not of me, A woman slew him. Pride is one of the most natural and inveterate propensities of the unrenewed human heart. Zebah and Zalmunna felt pride gratified in dying by the hand of a valiant man instead of a timid boy, and here Abimelech desires to die by the hand of one of his martial followers, that he may escape the imaginary disgrace of dying by the hand of a weak woman.—Note, How hard must it be to humble pride, seeing that it is stronger than death! What need to learn of him that is meek and lowly in heart, and to mortify pride that we may live and die like him! C.]
Reflections.—For the transgression of a land many and base are the princes thereof. Such as have wicked purposes stick at nothing to gain their end; and being conscious of their own bad designs, are apt to suspect, or at least accuse, others who are innocent of the same ill intentions: and instruments are never wanting to assist in the most bloody and ruinous conduct. Proud and evil men push after that elevation which wise and humble persons shun: nor is any one more overbearing and insolent than a low mind raised above his station. Such as enter into rule as foxes in craft, often rule like lions in cruelty, and die like dogs in disgrace. Accomplices in wickedness readily become plagues and murderers to one another; and none are nearer to ruin than those upon whom fair warnings are lost. When kingdoms are once disjointed one base villain readily sets up against another, and traitors mutually distrust and betray each other. When men are intoxicated with wine they are fit for murder, treason, and every other evil work: but insolent boastings of valour in the fumes of wine ordinarily issue in cowardice and shame. Nor can they who are rebels themselves justly expect fidelity from their associates; for rebellions, even against evil princes, usually issue in the ruin of the traitors. Civil wars are usually the most inhuman, in which the innocent and guilty perish without distinction. But what miseries wicked rulers entail upon their poor subjects! And how terrible is their end at last, when God returns their murder and other wickedness on their heads! When God hath finished his work with them he debases and destroys them. They die in their sins; and the methods they took to secure their fame do but serve to perpetuate their disgrace. But let us remember that there is no refuge for us amidst all our spiritual enemies, and from the hand of an angry God, but in Christ the Saviour of sinners, and the stronghold of faithful people.