_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, SAYING,_
Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem. The idolatry which had
been stealthily creeping into Israel during the latter... [ Continue Reading ]
_SPEAK, I PRAY YOU, IN THE EARS OF ALL THE MEN OF SHECHEM, WHETHER IS
BETTER 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 THAT I AM YOUR BONE AND YOUR FLESH._
Whether is better for you ... that all th... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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... [ Continue Reading ]
_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: NOTWITHSTANDING YET JOTHAM THE YOUNGEST SON OF JERUBBAAL WAS
LEFT; FOR HE HID HIMSELF._
Went unto ... Ophrah, and slew his brethren ... upon one stone. This... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ALL THE MEN OF SHECHEM GATHERED TOGETHER, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF
MILLO, AND WENT, AND MADE ABIMELECH KING, BY THE PLAIN OF THE PILLAR
THAT WAS IN SHECHEM._
All the men of Shechem ... and all the house of Millo - i:e. a mound
or rampart; so that the meaning is, all the men in the house or
temple;... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN THEY TOLD IT TO JOTHAM, HE WENT AND STOOD IN THE TOP OF
MOUNT GERIZIM, AND LIFTED UP HIS VOICE, AND CRIED, AND SAID UNTO THEM,
HEARKEN UNTO ME, YE MEN OF SHECHEM, THAT GOD MAY HEARKEN UNTO YOU._
He went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his
voice. The spot he chose was,... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE TREES WENT FORTH ON A TIME TO ANOINT A KING OVER THEM; AND THEY
SAID UNTO THE OLIVE TREE, REIGN THOU OVER US._
The trees went forth - literally, 'went on going.'... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT THE OLIVE TREE SAID UNTO THEM, SHOULD I LEAVE MY FATNESS,
WHEREWITH BY ME THEY HONOUR GOD AND MAN, AND GO TO BE PROMOTED OVER
THE TREES?_
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE VINE SAID UNTO THEM, SHOULD I LEAVE MY WINE, WHICH CHEERETH
GOD AND MAN, AND GO TO BE PROMOTED OVER THE TREES?_
Wine, which cheereth God and man. Not certainly in the same manner.
God might be said to be 'cheered' by it when the sacrifices were
accepted, as He is said also to be honoured b... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN SAID ALL THE TREES UNTO THE BRAMBLE, COME THOU, AND REIGN OVER
US._
Bramble [Rhamnus paliurus, Linnaeus] - southern buckthorn.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE BRAMBLE SAID UNTO THE TREES, IF IN TRUTH YE ANOINT ME KING
OVER YOU, THEN COME AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN MY SHADOW: AND IF NOT, LET
FIRE COME OUT OF THE BRAMBLE, AND DEVOUR THE CEDARS OF LEBANON._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND JOTHAM RAN AWAY, AND FLED, AND WENT TO BEER, AND DWELT THERE, FOR
FEAR OF ABIMELECH HIS BROTHER._
Jotham ran away, and fled. The moral of the parable he had spoken was
this-That foolish and wicked men are found boldly usurping places of
power and prominence, from the responsibility of which wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_WHEN ABIMELECH HAD REIGNED THREE YEARS OVER ISRAEL,_
When Abimelech had reigned three years. His reign did not probably at
first extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive
encoachments he subjected some of the neighbouring towns to his away.
None could 'reign' in Israel except by rebel... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN GOD SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT BETWEEN ABIMELECH AND THE MEN OF
SHECHEM; AND THE MEN OF SHECHEM DEALT TREACHEROUSLY WITH ABIMELECH:_
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem
- i:e., in the course of Providence, jealousy, distrust, secret
disaffection, and smothered rebel... [ Continue Reading ]
_THAT THE CRUELTY 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
KILLING OF HIS BRETHREN._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND GAAL THE SON OF EBED CAME WITH HIS BRETHREN, AND WENT OVER TO
SHECHEM: AND THE MEN OF SHECHEM PUT THEIR CONFIDENCE IN HIM._
Gaal ... came with his brethren ... and the men of Shechem put their
confidence in him. An insurrection of the original Canaanites, headed
by this man, at last broke out... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THEY WENT OUT INTO THE FIELDS, AND GATHERED THEIR VINEYARDS, AND
TRODE THE GRAPES, AND MADE MERRY, AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF THEIR
GOD, AND DID EAT AND DRINK, AND CURSED ABIMELECH._
They went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards ... and
went into the house of their god, and did e... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND GAAL THE SON OF EBED SAID, WHO IS ABIMELECH, AND WHO IS SHECHEM,
THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? IS NOT HE THE SON OF JERUBBAAL? AND ZEBUL
HIS OFFICER? SERVE THE MEN OF HAMOR THE FATHER OF SHECHEM: FOR WHY
SHOULD WE SERVE HIM?_ NO JFB COMMENTARY ON THIS VERSE.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WOULD TO GOD THIS PEOPLE WERE UNDER MY HAND! THEN WOULD I REMOVE
ABIMELECH. AND HE SAID TO ABIMELECH, INCREASE THINE ARMY, AND COME
OUT._
Would to God this people were under my hand! He seems to have been a
boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader
in a revolutionar... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN ZEBUL THE RULER OF THE CITY HEARD THE WORDS OF GAAL THE SON
OF EBED, HIS ANGER WAS KINDLED._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN ALL THE MEN OF THE TOWER OF SHECHEM HEARD THAT, THEY ENTERED
INTO AN HOLD OF THE HOUSE OF THE GOD BERITH._
They entered into an hold ... - literally, into the tower of the house
of the god Berith, which was capacious enough to admit more than a
thousand persons. Among the pagan, temples a... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT WAS TOLD ABIMELECH, THAT ALL THE MEN OF THE TOWER OF SHECHEM
WERE GATHERED TOGETHER._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ALL THE PEOPLE LIKEWISE CUT DOWN EVERY MAN HIS BOUGH, AND
FOLLOWED ABIMELECH, AND PUT 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._
All the people ... followed Abimelech ... and set the hold on fire... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN WENT ABIMELECH TO THEBEZ, AND ENCAMPED AGAINST THEBEZ, AND TOOK
IT._
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against ... it - now
Tobas, not far from Shechem.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT THERE WAS A STRONG TOWER 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._
All the men and women ... gat them up to the top of the tower. The
Canaanite forts were generally mountain-fastnesses or... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND ABIMELECH CAME UNTO THE TOWER, AND FOUGHT AGAINST IT, AND WENT
HARD UNTO THE DOOR OF THE TOWER TO BURN IT WITH FIRE._
No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND A CERTAIN WOMAN CAST A PIECE OF A MILLSTONE UPON ABIMELECH'S
HEAD, AND ALL TO BRAKE HIS SKULL._
A certain woman cast a ... millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to
break his skull. Similar was the fate of Pyrrhus. The Argives did not
receive him; he fell before the wall, a certain woman hav... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN HE CALLED HASTILY UNTO THE YOUNG MAN HIS ARMOURBEARER, AND SAID
UNTO HIM, DRAW THY SWORD, AND SLAY ME, THAT MEN SAY NOT OF ME, A WOMAN
SLEW HIM. AND HIS YOUNG MAN THRUST HIM THROUGH, AND HE DIED._
No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THUS GOD RENDERED THE WICKEDNESS OF ABIMELECH, WHICH HE DID UNTO HIS
FATHER, IN SLAYING HIS SEVENTY BRETHREN:_
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech ... The manner in which
the Nemesis was dealt out to this fratricide and unprincipled usurper
affords a striking instance of particular admin... [ Continue Reading ]