Judges 9:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.”

NIV: But Gaal spoke up again: 'Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners' tree.'

NASB: And Gaal spoke yet again and said, 'Look, people are coming down from the highest part of the land, and one unit is coming by way of the diviners’ oak.'

CSB: Then Gaal spoke again, "Look, troops are coming down from the central part of the land, and one unit is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak."

NLT: But again Gaal said, 'No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak. '

KJV: And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.

NKJV: So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree.”

Abimelech's right-hand man in the city of Shechem, Zebul, has arranged an ambush for the man who would take the throne (Judges 9:30–33). He has planned for this moment, sending secret word to Abimelech to position his men in the fields outside the city under the cover of darkness. Using the eastern gate, they can hide in the shadows of dawn, attacking at sunrise. Somehow, Zebul arranged for Gaal and others to be at the city's eastern gate. Gaal is clearly unaware that Zebul is against him. He has pointed out what he sees—or thinks he sees—by saying that people are coming down from the mountains. Zebul's initial response to that is a lie, dismissing it as a trick of the light (Judges 9:34–36).

Quickly, though, Gaal insists that people are coming down from the central hill, most likely meaning the one due east. He then spots another company, approaching from the direction of "The Diviners' Oak." This location likely wasn't used for divination at that time and was probably just a well-known landmark.

Judges 9:22–57 describes the brutal fulfillment of Jotham's curse against his brother, Abimelech, and the leaders of the city of Shechem. God allows the two sides to be split by an evil spirit. First, Shechem's leaders attempt to kill Abimelech. Then they plot with a man named Gaal to overthrow him. Helped by his officer in the city, Abimelech and his men ambush Gaal and Shechem. They kill all the people and destroy the city. They then move on to the town of Thebez to do the same, but Abimelech is killed. Jotham's prediction of divine vengeance (Judges 9:19–20) comes true.

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).