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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Judges 9:4

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

The house of Baal-berith - either the temple or the place where this idol was worshipped-Baal-berith, 'god of the covenant,' by invocation of whom the league of the cities was formed.

Vain and light persons, which followed him - idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain, from the success of a revolutionary movement.

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See also Judges 9:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Judges 9:4. _THREESCORE AND TEN_ PIECES _OF SILVER_] Probably _shekels_; and this was the whole of his exchequer. As he was now usurping the government of God, he begins with a _contribution_ fr...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 9 ABIMELECH THE KING AND HIS WICKEDNESS _ 1. The murder of Gideon's sons (Judges 9:1)_ 2. Jotham's parable (Judges 9:7) 3. Scenes of strife and destruction of Shechem (Judges 9:22) 4. Abim...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JUDGES 9. THE KINGSHIP AND FALL OF ABIMELECH. The story of Gideon's half-Canaanite son does not equal the finest parts of the book in dramatic interest, but the glimpse which it affords of the relatio...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LIGHT. rash. PERSONS. Hebrew. _'enosh._ App-14....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the house of Baal-berith_ In Judges 9:46 El-bĕrîth = _God of the covenant_; see Judges 8:33 _n._Temples in antiquity had their own treasuries into which offerings and fines were paid; they also serve...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    _Abimelech Made King Judges 9:1-6_ And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, s...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STORY OF ABIMELECH This chapter breaks the regular order of the book, since Abimelech is not thought of as a judge, and the Canaanites are not here regarded as oppressors. The story, however, thr...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    VAIN] worthless: hired mercenaries of no character....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 9 V1 Abimelech, Jerubbaal’s son, went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem. He spoke to them and he spoke to all his mother’s *tribe. V2 ‘Ask all the...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    PIECES. — Rather, _shekels,_ which is the word normally understood in similar phrases (Judges 8:26). “Neither the citizens of Shechem nor the ignobly-ambitious bastard understood what true monarchy wa...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּתְּנוּ ־לֹו֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף מִ בֵּ֖

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    ABIMELECH AND JOTHAM Judges 8:29; Judges 9:1 THE history we are tracing moves from man to man; the personal influence of the hero is everything while it lasts and confusion follows on his death. Gide...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “THROUGH SLAUGHTER TO A THRONE” Judges 8:29; Judges 9:1 The Children of Israel were guilty of great fickleness and instability. They soon relapsed into Baal worship and forgot to show kindness to the...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The closing statement of the previous chapter constitutes the introduction to this. The words, "As soon as Gideon was dead" and the declaration that then the people returned to evil courses reveal, fi...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Among Gideon's 70 sons was Abimelech who was born to him of a concubine from Shechem. He got the people of that city to pay him 70 shekels of silver and used it to enlist the help of some worthless an...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Weight. Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint do not express what quantity of silver was given. (Menochius) --- But sicle on such occasions is generally supplied. (Calmet) --- Hence this sum would amount t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Take notice, how the scheme was carried on. It began in man ' s ambition, unauthorized by God, and was kept up by bribes from an idol. Thus laid in sin; what can the end be but vanity and vexation of...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 9, 10, 11, AND 12. After Gideon's death we see the results of this distance from God in the internal struggles which took place between the children of Israel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THEY GAVE HIM SEVENTY PIECES OF SILVER OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BAALBIRITH,.... The temple of their idol; of this name Judges 8:33, out of the money which had been dedicated to his service by freewill...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. Ver. 4. _And they gave him threescore and...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _They gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver_ To bear the charges which he would be put to in making good his pretensions. It is not said what the value of these pieces was: so many shekels woul...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Abimelech by conspiracie with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made King. 7 Iotham by a parable rebuketh them and foretelleth their ruine. 22 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites ag...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver (barely $45) OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BAAL-BERITH, for as idolaters they were opposed to Jerubbaal and his family, who had abolished idolatry wherever...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ABIMELECH BECOMES KING...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ABIMELECH'SCONSPIRACY (vv. 1-6). Abimelech did not only forget his father's example, but deliberately chose a contrary path of proud self-pleasing. He wanted to rule over Israel and recognized that...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 The men of Shechem chose Abimelech king. God was not consulted whether they should have any king, much less who it should be. If parents could see what their children would do, and what they are t...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THREESCORE AND TEN, agreeably to the number of his enemies, Gideon's seventy sons. PIECES OF SILVER; not shekels, as some fancy, which were too small a sum for this purpose; but far larger pieces, the...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 9:4 gave H5414 (H8799) seventy H7657 silver H3701 temple H1004 Baal-Berith H1170 Abimelech H40 hired H7936 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘ And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons who followed him.' The house of Baal-berith may well be the Temple fortre...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Conspiracy of Abimelech. CHARACTERS: God, Abimelech, Jerubbaal, Jocham, Gaal, Zebul. CONCLUSION: Evil pursues sinners and sometimes overtakes them when they are apparently triumphant. The...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 9:4. _Baal-berith._ Berith signifies a covenant, which those bad people had made with Baal. The Greeks had their ζευς ορκιος, their Jupiter, or their Baal, to which they made vows. Judges 9:5....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal._ THE ELECTION OF THE USURPER TO BE KING I. Contrasts in the history of God’s own people. After Gideon--Abimelech! II. The best of fathers may have the worst of sons...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 9:1 Abimelech rose to power by ruthlessly killing his own brothers, with the help of the Shechemites. He was then “made king” at Shechem (v. Judges 9:6). Jerubbaal

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _ABIMELECH MADE KING_ Judges 9:1 CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 9:1. AND ABIMELECH.] Some little time may have elapsed after Gideon’s death, so that the air was again filled with tendencies to idolatry. Be...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 9:1 THE SON OF JERUBBAAL. Throughout this chapter Gideon is spoken of by the name of Jerubbaal. There must be some cause for this. The simplest and most probable cause is that this...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now here's what happened. After the death of Gideon, this Abimelech who was the son of his concubine in Shechem. Now you know, they used to say of the sailors "a girl in every port." Well, Gideon had...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 22:2; 2 Chronicles 13:7; Acts 17:5; Job 30:8; Judges 11:3;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Pieces of silver — Not shekels, which were too small a sum for this purpose; but far larger pieces, the exact worth whereof it is not possible for us now to know. The house of Baal — berith — Out of h...

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