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This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.
9:1 Abimelek snatches the kingship
9 Now Gideon’s son Abimelek went to Shekem to his mother’s brothers and spoke to those uncles and to all the extended family of his mother’s father, saying, 2 “Please ask around all the citizens of Shekem: ‘What is better for you: Gideon’s seventy sons ruling over you, or having a single man in charge?’ Remember that I’m your flesh and bone.” 3 So his uncles working on his behalf, passed that onto all the citizens of Shekem, and they became convinced in Abimelek, because they said, “He’s our brother.” 4 Then they gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used them to entice some rough lay-abouts to work for him. 5 Then they went to his father’s house at Ofrah, and he killed his seventy half-brothers (Gideon’s sons) there on one stone. But Gideon’s youngest son Yotam survived because he had hidden from them. 6 Then all of the prominent citizens of Shekem and all of Beyt-Millo assembled themselves, and they went and installed Abimelek as king beside an oak tree near the standing pillar[fn] that was in Shekem.
9:6 Likely connected with idol worship.
9:2 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.
9:2 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.
9:2 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.
9:2 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.
9:2 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.
9:4 OSHB note: We read the punctuation in L differently from BHQ.
9:4 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.
9:4 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.
9:4 OSHB note: We read the punctuation in L differently from BHQ.
9:4 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.
9:4 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.
9:5 OSHB note: We read the punctuation in L differently from BHQ.
9:5 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.
9:5 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.
Judges 9
Virtually every account in the book of Judges paints this formative period in Israel’s history as a very dark, brutal time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). The story of Abimelech’s rise to power is no exception. Judges 6-8 recounts the heroic deeds of Gideon, a Manassite from the clan of Abiezer who rescued the Israelites from the Midianites. After Gideon’s victory, he returned to his hometown of Ophrah, and Israel enjoyed peace for the rest of his lifetime. But Gideon also left a legacy of idolatry by him, by his family, and by many Israelites. Gideon had many wives and seventy sons, as well as a concubine in Shechem who gave birth to another son named Abimelech (Judges 8:29-32). It appears that when Abimelech grew up, he settled in Arumah, (Judges 9:31), just outside Manassite territory in the tribal allotment of Ephraim (Joshua 16-17; see “Poster Map of the Tribe of Manasseh (West) and Its Surroundings, circa 1200 B.C.” map). Perhaps this move to non-Manassite territory reflected Abimelech’s lack of a legitimate heritage from his Manassite father. Later, Abimelech visited his relatives in Shechem and convinced them to persuade the leaders of Shechem to make him ruler over the city. To ensure that none of his seventy brothers, who were legitimate heirs to Gideon, challenged his authority, Abimelech went to Ophrah and killed all but one of them. The only brother to escape was Jotham, the youngest, and he went to the top of Mount Gerizim and warned them against betraying Gideon by making Abimelech king. Then he fled to the town of Beer, perhaps the same as Beeroth near the town of Gibeon. After three years, however, the leaders of Shechem began to grow dissatisfied with Abimelech as their king, and a man named Gaal offered to rule in place of him. Abimelech’s ally Zebul, who was one of the leaders of Shechem, went to Arumah and told Abimelech what Gaal was planning to do. So Gideon and his men split up into four groups and secretly surrounded the city at night. Then they attacked Gaal’s men, and Gaal’s men retreated into Shechem. Zebul drove them back out into the fields, and Abimelech’s men defeated them and captured the city. Some of the leaders of Shechem fled into the temple of El-berith (or Baal-berith), but Abimelech and his men cut down branches from Mount Zalmon (likely Mount Ebal just north of Shechem) and set fire to the temple, killing about 1000 people inside. Then Abimelech and his men went to Thebez and attacked the city. Many of the citizens took refuge inside a strong tower in the town, and Abimelech prepared to set fire to the entrance. But a woman on the roof dropped a millstone on his head, crushing his skull, so Abimelech commanded his armor bearer to kill him.
JDG Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21