JDG 9:23 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς πνεῦμα πονηρὸν ἀναμέσον Ἀβιμέλεχ καὶ ἀναμέσον τῶν ἀνδρῶν Σικίμων· καὶ ἠθέτισαν ἄνδρες Σικίμων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἀβιμέλεχ,
(Kai exapesteilen ho Theos pneuma ponaʸron anameson Abimeleⱪ kai anameson tōn andrōn Sikimōn; kai aʸthetisan andres Sikimōn en tōi oikōi Abimeleⱪ,)

BrTr And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sicima; and the men of Sicima [fn]dealt treacherously [fn]with the house of Abimelech:

9:23 Or, despised.

9:23 Or, in the house. Hebraism.

ULT Then God sent a bad spirit between Abimelech and between the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

UST Then God made Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem hostile toward each other. The leaders of Shechem started plotting against Abimelech.

BSB & MSB God sent a spirit of animosity[fn] between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,

9:23 Or a harmful spirit

OEB No OEB JDG 9:23 book available

WEBBE & WMBB Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

NET God sent a spirit to stir up hostility between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal to Abimelech.

LSV and God sends an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech,

FBV Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. The leaders of Shechem betrayed Abimelech.

T4T Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, with the result that the leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.

LEB And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem, and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

BBE And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the townsmen of Shechem; and the townsmen of Shechem were false to Abimelech;

Moff No Moff JDG 9:23 book available

JPS And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech;

ASV And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

DRA And the Lord sent a very evil spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Sichem: who began to detest him,

YLT and God sendeth an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech,

Drby And [fn]God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

9.23 Elohim

RV And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

SLT And God will send an evil spirit between Abimelech and between the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem will act deceitfully with Abimelech,

Wbstr Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

KJB-1769 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

KJB-1611 Then God sent an euill spirit betweene Abimelech & the men of Shechem: and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps God sent an euyll spirite betweene Abimelech, & the men of Sichem: and the citezins of Sichem brake their promise to Abimelech,
(God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech, and the men of Sichem: and the citizens of Sichem brake their promise to Abimelech,)

Gnva But God sent an euil spirit betweene Abimelech, and the men of Shechem: and the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech,
(But God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech, and the men of Shechem: and the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech,)

Cvdl God sent an euell mynde betwene Abimelech and the men of Sichen (for the men of Sichem despysed Abimelech,
(God sent an evil mind between Abimelech and the men of Sichen (for the men of Sichem despised Abimelech,)

Wycl And the Lord sente the worste spirit bitwixe Abymelech and the dwelleris of Sichem, whiche bigynnen to holde hym abomynable,
(And the Lord sent the worst spirit between Abimelech and the dwellers of Sichem, which begin to hold him revolting,)

Luth sandte GOtt einen bösen Willen zwischen Abimelech und den Männern zu Sichem. Denn die Männer zu Sichem versprachen Abimelech;
(sent God a evil will(n) between Abimelech and the men to/for Sichem. Because the men to/for Sichem promised Abimelech;)

ClVg Misitque Dominus spiritum pessimum inter Abimelech et habitatores Sichem: qui cœperunt eum detestari,[fn]
(And_sent Master spirit worst between Abimelech and the_inhabitants Sichem: who/which they_began him to_detest,)

9.23 Misitque. AUG., quæst. 45 in Jud. Et misit Deus Spiritum malignum inter Abimelech et viros Sichimorum. Hoc verbum, etc., usque ad etiam immisit interpretati sunt.

9.23 And_sent. AUG., quest. 45 in/into/on Yud. And he_sent God Spirit evil between Abimelech and men Shechemites. This the_word/saying, etc., until to also sent_in interpreted are.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙ ר֣וּחַ רָעָ֔ה בֵּ֣ין אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ וּ⁠בֵ֖ין בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֑ם

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent ʼElohīm spirit evil between ʼAⱱīmelek and=between masters_of Shekem and,they_dealt_treacherously masters_of Shekem with,Abimelech )

See the discussion of this statement in the Introduction to this chapter. The word spirit could refer to: (1) the attitude that Abimelech and the lords of Shechem had towards one another. Alternate translation: [Then God caused hostility between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem]; (2) a spiritual being. Alternate translation: [Then God sent a spiritual being that caused Abimelech and the lords of Shechem to fight with each other]

Note 2 topic: writing-newevent

וַ⁠יִּשְׁלַ֤ח אֱלֹהִים֙

(Some words not found in UHB: and,he_sent ʼElohīm spirit evil between ʼAⱱīmelek and=between masters_of Shekem and,they_dealt_treacherously masters_of Shekem with,Abimelech )

The author is introducing a new event in the story. The ULT indicates this with the word Then. Use a word, phrase, or other method in your language that is natural for introducing a new event.

BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:

Abimelech Seizes Power

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.

Parallel JDG 9:23

Abimelech Seizes Power