Judges 9:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,

NIV: Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother's brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother's clan,

NASB: Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the entire family of the household of his mother’s father, saying,

CSB: Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem and spoke to his uncles and to his mother's whole clan, saying,

NLT: One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles — his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family,

KJV: 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,

NKJV: Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

Shechem was an ancient city, even in Gideon's time. It dated back as far as the time of Abraham. Situated north of Jerusalem, it occupied a strategic place in a valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Archaeologists have discovered a great temple in the ruins of ancient Shechem, which stood for hundreds of years before being destroyed, as described in this chapter.

Judges chapter 9 is a fascinating departure from the pattern of the rest of the book. Most segments of the book of Judges continue after the death of one champion by explaining Israel's fall and redemption under another judge (Judges 2:11–19). In this case, the text includes a concluding chapter tied to Gideon's story. In a way, this is a post-script of Gideon's influence, since he has died by the time this passage begins. The story depicts what became of Gideon's son by his concubine in the town of Shechem (Judges 8:29–31). Scholars suggest she was a Canaanite, since Shechem was a center of Canaanite worship.

Though many English translations suggest Gideon named this son Abimelech, the wording allows that the name came from the boy's mother. Gideon's concubine likely did not come and live with him as his other wives did. She would have been kept apart from the family. Gideon would have come to see her from time to time. This would partly explain why the child would be given a name meaning "the king is my father," though Gideon was not literally a king (Judges 8:22–23). Further, this separation would likely have meant Abimelech grew up separately from his half-brothers.

Abimelech's story begins with his visit to see his mother and her extended family in Shechem. He considers them his native people and wants their local leaders to support his plan.

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).