What does Judges 9:6 mean?
Abimelech, Gideon's son by a concubine (Judges 8:31) has carried out a brutal public execution of his brothers. Of the seventy (Judges 8:30), only the youngest brother escaped the slaughter. As far as we know, from the text, this means only Abimelech and Jotham have survived from Gideon's line. Since Abimelech's goal was to purge other heirs, it's possible he also killed Gideon's grandsons. Either way, this marks the tragic end of a legacy which would have seemed invincible before Abimelech's brutal betrayal.The rivals eliminated, city leaders of Shechem keep their word. They appoint Abimelech their king. Leaders and people of Beth-millo gather for the coronation. Beth-millo was likely an area inside Shechem, perhaps near to the temple where the rich and influential lived.
Archaeologists have uncovered a large stone in front of the remains of the temple in Shechem. It is nearly 5 feet, or 150 centimeters, wide and about 16 inches, or 41 centimeters, thick. It has been broken off, but still stands almost as high as it is wide. This may well be the pillar where city business and ceremonies were conducted, including the naming of Abimelech as king over Shechem.