Judges 9:39 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech.

NIV: So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek.

NASB: So Gaal went out in the sight of the leaders of Shechem and fought Abimelech.

CSB: So Gaal went out leading the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,

NLT: So Gaal led the leading citizens of Shechem into battle against Abimelech.

KJV: And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

NKJV: So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

Zebul's plan has now come to life. When Zebul heard that Gaal had told the city's leaders that he would remove Abimelech by force if given the chance, he took the threat seriously (Judges 9:28–29). It may have been a drunken boast, but Zebul took no chances. He sent a messenger to Abimelech to ambush that city at sunrise to meet Gaal's threat head-on (Judges 9:30–34).

Gaal had no warning the attack was coming. He stood with Zebul looking to the east at sunrise only to realize several companies of soldiers were approaching from the hills. At first, Zebul stalled Gaal by telling him he was seeing things (Judges 9:35–36). Finally, Zebul taunted Gaal to back up his "big talk" by meeting Abimelech by force. Gaal does not back down. He leads the city's leaders and their fighters out to do battle with Abimelech and his forces. The very same leaders who put Abimelech in power (Judges 9:1–6) are now attempting to remove him from that position (Judges 9:22–23).

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).

Accessed 5/18/2024 8:49:28 PM