Judges 9:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.

NIV: Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.

NASB: Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and he stayed there because of his brother Abimelech.

CSB: Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.

NLT: Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

KJV: And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

NKJV: And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.

Jotham made his surprise speech at Abimelech's coronation (Judges 9:7). He has told his fable (Judges 9:8–15) and pronounced his curse upon both Abimelech and the people of Shechem (Judges 9:16–20). He rightly condemns them for the murder of his brothers, for dishonoring Gideon's legacy, and for their cynical choice of a worthless king (Judges 9:1–6). Now Jotham runs away.

This is not simple cowardice on Jotham's part. He's described as the youngest son of Gideon (Judges 9:5), he has no army, and Shechem has shown willingness to engage in open murder. Abimelech would have wanted to kill Jotham for several reasons. The young man has cast a shadow over the beginning of his reign as king of Shechem. Worse, if any other sons of Gideon live, Abimelech's position as the sole heir of Gideon's authority is subject to challenge.

Jotham was strategic in choosing the place from which to confront the people of Shechem. From on top of Mount Gerizim, he could simply run in the other direction. His choice of a mountain ledge would have allowed him to shout out his words and escape before being caught. Abimelech may have pursued Jotham, but he escaped to a place identified as "Be'er" and remained there so long as necessary to stay out of Abimelech's reach. No exact location is known for "Be'er," but the name refers to a well of water.

Judges 9:6–21 contains a parable and prophecy spoken by the sole surviving son of Gideon. Jotham was the only one missed in a massacre orchestrated by his half-brother, Abimelech (Judges 9:1–6). During the coronation ceremony making Abimelech a local ruler, Jotham shouts out a curse against Abimelech and Shechem's leaders. This takes the form of a fable about trees making a bramble bush their king. The prediction intended by Jotham's declaration is that Shechem's leaders did not act in integrity, so they and Abimelech will destroy each other. Jotham then flees the area.

Shechem's leaders conspire with a concubine's son to kill Gideon's other seventy sons. They make this man, Abimelech, their ruler. Gideon's youngest son survives, however, and delivers a curse. Using a fable, he says Abimelech and Shechem's leaders will destroy each other. God causes a division between Shechem's leaders and Abimelech. The noblemen attempt to kill Abimelech and unite behind a new leader. Abimelech discovers the plot and kills everyone in Shechem, destroying the city. When attacking a tower in a nearby town, however, Abimelech's skull is crushed by a thrown millstone. The curse is fulfilled.

Gideon successfully defeated Midianite raiders but declined to become Israel's official king. His sons, however, were held in high esteem during his remaining years (Judges 8). After Gideon's death, ambitious men conspire to kill almost all those heirs. This results in a series of bloody events. Eventually, judgment comes on those responsible. Israel fails to learn from the tragedies. Chapter 10 explains further idolatry and sin, before introducing the next major judge, Jephthah, in chapter 11.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).