Judges 9:1-6
ABIMELECH BECOMES KING... [ Continue Reading ]
ABIMELECH BECOMES KING... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, by his concubine, Judges 8:31, WENT TO SHECHEM UNTO HIS MOTHER'S BRETHREN, all her nearest relatives, AND COMMUNED WITH THEM AND WITH ALL THE FAMILY OF THE HOUSE OF HIS MOTHER'S FATHER, SAYING,... [ 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? He presumes that the position of judge in Israel is hereditary, and craftily suggests that it... [ Continue Reading ]
And his mother's brethren, acting upon the suggestion of Abimelech, SPAKE OF HIM IN THE EARS OF ALL THE MEN OF SHECHEM ALL THESE WORDS; AND THEIR HEARTS, those of all the Shechemites, INCLINED TO FOLLOW ABIMELECH; FOR THEY SAID, HE IS OUR BROTHER. They permitted themselves to be led astray by his pe... [ Continue Reading ]
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 his influence extended, WHEREWITH ABIMELECH HIRED VAIN AND LIGHT PERSONS, a body-guard from the idle... [ 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, dragging them forth for a formal slaughter; NOTWITHSTANDING YET JOTHAM, THE YOUNGEST SON OF JERUBBAAL, WAS LEFT; for he hid himself.... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the men of Shechem, after this bloody deed, GATHERED TOGETHER, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF MILLO, the name of the fort or citadel of Shechem, AND WENT AND MADE ABIMELECH KING BY THE PLAIN OF THE PILLAR THAT WAS IN SHECHEM, at the great stone, set up by Joshua under the oak, Joshua 24:25. Thus the f... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they told it, the entire story concerning the election of Abimelech, TO JOTHAM, HE WENT AND STOOD IN THE TOP OF MOUNT GERIZIM, overlooking Shechem from the south, AND LIFTED UP HIS VOICE, AND CRIED AND SAID UNTO THEM, HEARKEN UNTO ME, YE MEN OF SHECHEM, THAT GOD MAY HEARKEN UNTO YOU, a summ... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PARABLE OF JOTHAM... [ Continue Reading ]
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them, no special reason being given for this desire; AND THEY SAID UNTO THE OLIVE-TREE, REIGN THOU OVER US.... [ Continue Reading ]
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, have I lost my oil, have I become worthless, AND GO TO BE PROMOTED OVER THE TREES, waving back and forth in an uncertain rule, an honor which may be taken from him at any time, by the fickleness of... [ Continue Reading ]
And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou and reign over us.... [ Continue Reading ]
But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said the trees unto the vine, a symbol of government, as that which gives peace and comfort, COME THOU AND REIGN OVER US.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, a proverbial saying signifying that wine cheers all persons, even the highest and noblest, AND GO TO BE PROMOTED OVER THE TREES? So all these trees rightly considered their calling of bearing precious fruits for the use... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, the thorn-bush, COME THOU AND REIGN OVER US.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth, a fact which she could as yet hardly believe, YE ANOINT ME KING OVER YOU, THEN COME AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN MY SHADOW, words which contain a cutting irony, as the Shechemites soon found out to their sorrow; AND IF NOT, LET FIRE COME OUT OF THE BRAMBLE,... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech, that dangerous thorn-bush, KING, AND IF YE HAVE DEALT WELL WITH JERUBBAAL, who refused royal honors in Israel, AND HIS HOUSE, AND HAVE DONE UNTO HIM ACCORDING TO THE DESERVING OF HIS HANDS, if it was such treatment w... [ Continue Reading ]
(for my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;... [ Continue Reading ]
and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, for that was the actual position of Gideon's concubine, the mother of Abimelech, king over the men of Shechem, because he... [ Continue Reading ]
if ye, then, have dealt truly and sincerely, in faithfulness and uprightness, WITH JERUBBAAL AND WITH HIS HOUSE THIS DAY, THEN REJOICE YE IN ABIMELECH, AND LET HIM ALSO REJOICE IN YOU, an expression of bitter scorn over their murderous faithlessness;... [ Continue Reading ]
but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house, the inhabitants, OF MILLO; AND LET FIRE COME OUT FROM THE MEN OF SHECHEM AND FROM THE HOUSE OF MILLO, AND DEVOUR ABIMELECH. So both the sinful trees and their tyrannical king were destined to be consumed.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jotham ran away, before the men of the city could recover from their surprise, AND FLED, AND WENT TO BEER, AND DWELT THERE, FOR FEAR OF ABIMELECH, HIS BROTHER, for Abimelech was a tyrant and might put him to death, if he caught him. The government of tyrants and godless persons always brings mis... [ Continue Reading ]
When Abimelech had reigned, held sway, three years over Israel, over as many of the people as acknowledged his rule,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEFEAT OF GAAL... [ Continue Reading ]
then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, sowing the seeds of discord and treason between them; AND THE MEN OF SHECHEM DEALT TREACHEROUSLY WITH ABIMELECH, they rebelled against him;... [ Continue Reading ]
that the cruelty, the violence, 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. The vengeance of God was to strike both the tyrant and tho... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men of Shechem set liers-in-wait for him in the top of the mountains, men in ambush for the purpose of bringing discredit upon Abimelech, who evidently did not live in Shechem, AND THEY ROBBED ALL THAT CAME ALONG THAT WAY BY THEM, thus making it appear either that he was not able to keep the... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his brethren, apparently the leader of a roving band, AND WENT OVER TO SHECHEM; AND THE MEN OF SHECHEM PUT THEIR CONFIDENCE IN HIM, believing him to be the very man for their purpose, namely, to lead the rebellion against Abimelech.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, arranged a great banquet or sacrificial meal, AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF THEIR GOD, Baal-berith, AND DID EAT AND DRINK, and cursed Abimelech.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, apparently a true adventurer, SAID, WHO IS ABIMELECH, AND WHO IS SHECHEM, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? IS NOT HE THE SON OF JERUBBAAL, the enemy and destroyer of their god? AND ZEBUL HIS OFFICER? The ruler or prefect of the city was Abimelech's representative, according to Ga... [ Continue Reading ]
And would to God this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech. His drunken boast was that if he but had as much authority as Zebul, he would soon disclaim allegiance to the tyrant and put him out of the way. AND HE SAID TO ABIMELECH, a boastful challenge, as though the latter had be... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal, the son of Ebed, when they were brought to his attention, HIS ANGER WAS KINDLED.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, or, to Tormah, SAYING, BEHOLD, GAAL, THE SON OF EBED, AND HIS BRETHREN BE COME TO SHECHEM; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, for Abimelech evidently was in the midst of his army, on some expedition, AND LIE IN WAIT IN THE FIELD, remain in ambush till the morning;... [ Continue Reading ]
and it shall be that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city, move upon it to give battle; AND, BEHOLD, WHEN HE AND THE PEOPLE THAT IS WITH HIM COME OUT AGAINST THEE, THEN MAYEST THOU DO TO THEM AS. THOU SHALT FIND OCCASION.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, following the plan outlined by Zebul, AND THEY LAID WAIT AGAINST SHECHEM IN FOUR COMPANIES.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gaal, the son of Ebed, went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city, for he considered himself the ruler of the town; AND ABIMELECH ROSE UP, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM, FROM LYING IN WAIT, making ready for the attack on the city.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Gaal saw the people, the approaching forces, HE SAID TO ZEBUL, whose position as prefect made his presence in the gate necessary, BEHOLD, THERE COME PEOPLE DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS, the higher hills in the distance. AND ZEBUL, in order to deceive him and to prevent his gathering a... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, over the hills in the middle distance. AND ANOTHER COMPANY COME ALONG BY THE PLAIN OF MEONENIM, the Magicians' Grove, a dark woods against the near horizon. There could no longer be any doubt that an attacking forc... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Zebul unto him, Where 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. Here was a chance to make good his boasting, if he were really such a great hero.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Gaal, goaded on by this biting remark of Zebul, WENT OUT BEFORE THE MEN OF SHECHEM, in the presence of the heathen nobility of the city, AND FOUGHT WITH ABIMELECH,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, escaping both death and capture, AND MANY WERE OVERTHROWN AND WOUNDED, EVEN UNTO THE ENTERING OF THE GATE.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech, instead of following up his advantage that day, DWELT AT ARUMAH, went into camp at this small town nearby; AND ZEBUL THRUST OUT GAAL AND HIS BRETHREN, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT DWELL IN SHECHEM, he once more became a rover.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass on the morrow that the people went out into the field, pursuing their work in the fields and vineyards with the idea that Abimelech was satisfied with the banishment of Gaal; AND THEY, scouts or sentinels, TOLD ABIMELECH.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he took the people, his army, 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, in the manner which is now explained.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, in a sudden charge, AND STOOD IN THE ENTERING OF THE GATE OF THE CITY, thus cutting off the retreat of the men in the fields; AND THE TWO OTHER COMPANIES RAN UPON ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE FIELDS, AND SLEW THEM,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech, having held the gate until his forces had finished their gruesome work outside, FOUGHT AGAINST THE CITY ALL THAT DAY; AND HE TOOK THE CITY, AND SLEW THE PEOPLE THAT WAS THEREIN, AND BEAT DOWN THE CITY, leveling it to the ground, AND SOWED IT WITH SALT, to signify that the city was to... [ Continue Reading ]
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem, probably the same as Beth-Millo, the fortress of the city, HEARD THAT, THEY ENTERED INTO AN HOLD OF THE HOUSE OF THE GOD BERITH, thinking they would be safe in the sanctuary,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE END OF ABIMELECH... [ Continue Reading ]
And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abimelech gat him up to Mount Zalmon, so called from its wooded heights, HE AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM; AND ABIMELECH TOOK AN AX IN HIS HAND, AND CUT DOWN A BOUGH FROM THE TREES, AND TOOK IT, AND LAID IT ON HIS SHOULDER, all this being told with the details noted by an eye-witness, AN... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the people, in obedience to his command. LIKEWISE CUT DOWN EVERY MAN HIS BOUGH, AND FOLLOWED ABIMELECH, AND PUT THEM TO THE HOLD, which the men of the tower had considered a refuge, AND SET THE HOLD ON FIRE UPON THEM, SO THAT ALL THE MEN OF THE TOWER OF SHECHEM DIED ALSO, ABOUT A THOUSAND ME... [ Continue Reading ]
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, evidently not far from Shechem, AND ENCAMPED AGAINST THEBEZ, AND TOOK IT, the city proper.... [ 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, locked and barred it securely, AND GAT THEM UP TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER.... [ 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, thereby stepping closely to the wall.... [ Continue Reading ]
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone, the upper stone, known as the runner, UPON ABIMELECH'S HEAD, AND ALL TO (wholly) BRAKE HIS SKULL, crushing its bones.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he called hastily unto the young man, his armor-bearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. Thus he was fierce and warlike to the end, determined not to have appearances against him. AND HIS YOUNG MAN THRUST HIM THROUGH, AND HE DIED.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. The siege was raised and the dead chieftain forsaken.... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech which he did unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren;... [ Continue Reading ]
and all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham, the son of Jerubbaal. God often pursues that course, punishing wicked people by wicked people, overthrowing rebels by rebels. His avenging hand finds both the seducers and the seduced.... [ Continue Reading ]