Judges
Chapter 9
Skip to reading
Choose chapter (9 selected)
Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and he spoke to them and to all the clan of his mother’s father’s house, saying,
2Speak, please, in the ears of all the lords of Shechem: Which is better for you, that seventy men rule over you, all the sons of Jerubbaal, or that one man rule over you? And remember that I am your bone and your flesh.
3His mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the ears of all the lords of Shechem, and their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said, He is our brother.
4They gave him seventy of silver from the house of Baal-berith, and with it Abimelech hired empty and reckless men, and they followed him.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
The line says seventy of silver. It does not name the unit.
5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, was left, because he hid.
6All the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the oak of the pillar that is in Shechem.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Elon mutzav is the oak of the pillar, the oak that was set up.
7They told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He lifted his voice and called, and he said to them, Listen to me, lords of Shechem, and let God listen to you.
8The trees went, went to To pour oil on someone or something to set them apart for God. a king over themselves, and they said to the olive tree, Kingship over us.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Text
The written consonants are melukhah, “kingship.” The Masoretic reading is molkhah, “reign,” a command to the olive tree. The written form is printed.
9The olive tree said to them, Should I stop my fatness, by which they honor God and men, and go to wave over the trees?
10The trees said to the fig tree, You come, reign over us.
11The fig tree said to them, Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?
12The trees said to the vine, You come, my kingship, over us.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Text
The written consonants are melukhi, “my kingship.” The Masoretic reading is molkhi, “reign,” a command to the vine. The written form is printed.
13The vine said to them, Should I stop my new wine, which gladdens God and men, and go to wave over the trees?
14All the trees said to the thorn, You go, reign over us.
15The thorn said to the trees, If in truth you are Pouring oil to set someone apart for God. me as king over you, come, take shelter in my shade. And if not, let fire come out of the thorn and eat the cedars of Lebanon.
16Now, if you have acted in truth and in integrity, and have made Abimelech king, and if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his house, and if you have done to him as his hands deserved,
17for my father fought for you and threw his life aside and rescued you from the hand of Midian,
18and you have risen against my father’s house today and killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his servant-woman, king over the lords of Shechem, because he is your brother,
19if you have acted in truth and in integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and eat the lords of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come out from the lords of Shechem and from Beth-millo and eat Abimelech.
21Jotham fled and escaped and went to Beer, and he lived there, away from Abimelech his brother.
22Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
23God sent a bad spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem broke faith with Abimelech,
24so that the violence against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal would come, and their blood would be placed on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
25The lords of Shechem set ambushes for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. It was told to Abimelech.
26Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers came and crossed into Shechem, and the lords of Shechem put their trust in him.
27They went out into the field, gathered their vineyards, trod them, and held a celebration. They went into the house of their god, and they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.
28Gaal son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve him, we ourselves?
29If only this people were in my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. He said to Abimelech, Make your army large, and come out.
30Zebul, the chief of the city, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, and his anger burned.
31He sent messengers to Abimelech at Tormah, saying, Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and look, they are pressing the city against you.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Tsarim is printed as pressing the city. The word can also be read as besieging it.
32Now get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
33In the morning, when the sun rises, you shall get up early and rush the city. Look, he and the people with him will come out against you, and you shall do to him whatever your hand finds.
34Abimelech and all the people who were with him got up by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
35Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the opening of the city gate. Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush.
36Gaal saw the people and said to Zebul, Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains. Zebul said to him, You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
37Gaal spoke again and said, Look, people are coming down from beside the navel of the land, and one company is coming from the way of the People who try to learn hidden things by signs.’ oak.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Tabbur ha-arets is the navel of the land. Elon me’onenim is the oak of the diviners.
38Zebul said to him, Where now is your mouth, that you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is this not the people you rejected? Go out now, please, and fight him.
39Gaal went out before the lords of Shechem and fought Abimelech.
40Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him. Many fell wounded, as far as the opening of the gate.
41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out, so that they could not stay in Shechem.
42The next day the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech.
43He took the people and split them into three companies and lay in wait in the field. He looked, and look, the people were coming out of the city. He rose against them and struck them.
44Abimelech and the companies that were with him rushed forward and stood at the opening of the city gate. The other two companies rushed on everyone who was in the field and struck them.
45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city, and the people who were in it he killed. He tore the city down and sowed it with salt.
46All the lords of the tower of Shechem heard, and they went into the stronghold of the house of El-berith.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Tseriach is the stronghold they entered. El-berith is the god of the covenant named in the line. El is the short word for God.
47It was told to Abimelech that all the lords of the tower of Shechem had gathered.
48Abimelech went up Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. Abimelech took the axes in his hand, cut a bundle of branches, lifted it, and set it on his shoulder. He said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.
49All the people also cut, each man his bundle, and they followed Abimelech. They set them against the stronghold and set the stronghold on fire over them. All the people of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
50Abimelech went to Thebez, camped against Thebez, and captured it.
51There was a strong tower in the middle of the city, and all the men and the women and all the lords of the city fled there. They shut themselves in and went up on the roof of the tower.
52Abimelech came up to the tower and fought against it. He drew near the opening of the tower to burn it with fire.
53One woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and it crushed his skull.
Notes (1)Hide notes
- Translation
Pelach rekhev is the upper stone of a hand mill.
54He quickly called the young man who carried his weapons and said to him, Draw your sword and put me to death, or they will say of me, A woman killed him. His young man pierced him, and he died.
55The men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, and each man went to his place.
56God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.
57And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads. The curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came on them.