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Judges Chapter 9

Abimelech Conspires to Become King, Falls after 3 Years; Shechem; Abimelech Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king

9 1 Jdg 8:31 A1And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

2 Heb 2:14; 1 Chr 11:1; 2 Sam 19:13; Gen 29:14; Jdg 8:30 2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

3 Gen 29:15 3And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

4 Act 17:5; Pro 12:11; 2 Chr 13:7; 1 Sam 22:2 4And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

5 Mat 2:20; Mat 2:16; 2 Kin 10:17; Jdg 6:24 5And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin

7 Deu 11:29; Jos 8:33; Joh 4:20 7¶And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

8 Jdg 8:22; 2 Kin 14:9 8The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

9 Psa 104:15 9But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

10And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.

11But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

12Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.

13And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

14Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

15 Isa 2:13; Psa 104:16; 2 Kin 14:9; Eze 19:14; Hos 14:7 15And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

16 Jdg 8:35 16Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

17(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

18And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

19 Isa 8:6; Phi 3:3; Jam 4:16 19If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

20But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

21 2 Sam 20:14; Jos 19:8; Num 21:16 21And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him

22¶When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

23 Mat 7:2; Isa 33:1; 2 The 2:11; 2 The 2:1 23Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

24 Mat 23:35; Psa 58:10-11; Psa 7:16; Est 9:25; 1 Kin 2:32 24That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

25And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.

26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

27 Jdg 8:33 27And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

28 Gen 34:2; 1 Sam 25:10; Exo 5:2 28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

29 2 Sam 15:4; 1 Kin 20:11; Psa 10:3 29And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. Zebul reveals it

30And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

31And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.

32Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:

33And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt

34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.

36 Mar 8:24 36And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.

37And 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.

38 2 Sam 2:26-27; 2 Kin 14:8; Jer 2:28 38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

39And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

41And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

42And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

43And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.

44And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

45 Ecc 8:12-13; Pro 2:22; Psa 119:119; Psa 76:10 45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. He burns the hold of the god Berith

46 Isa 37:38; Isa 28:15-18; Psa 115:8; 2 Kin 1:2-4 46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.

47And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

48 Psa 68:14 48And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

49And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women. At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone

50 Exo 14:4 50¶Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

53 1 Cor 1:27; Jer 49:20; Job 31:3 53And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.

54 1 Sam 31:4 54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

55And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. Jotham's curse is fulfilled.

56 Gal 6:7; Rom 2:6; Act 28:4 56Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

57And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

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Introduction — Book introductions

Outline — Chapter and book outline

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Introductions and Outlines courtesy Grace to You. Used by permission)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

The book bears the fitting name “Judges,” which refers to unique leaders God gave to His people for preservation against their enemies (Jdg 2:16-19). The Hebrew title means “deliverers” or “saviors,” as well as judges (cf. Deut 16:18; 17:9; 19:17). Twelve such judges arose before Samuel; then Eli and Samuel raised the count to 14. God Himself is the higher Judge (Jdg 11:27). Judges spans about 350 years from Joshua’s conquest (ca. 1398 B.C.) until Eli and Samuel judged prior to the establishment of the monarchy (ca. 1043B.C.).

Author and Date

No author is named in the book, but the Jewish Talmud identifies Samuel, a key prophet who lived at the time these events took place and could have personally summed up the era (cf. 1 Sam 10:25). The time was earlier than David’s capture of Jerusalem ca. 1004 B.C. (2 Sam 5:6, 7) since Jebusites still controlled the site (Judg 1:21). Also, the writer deals with a time before a king ruled (Jdg 17:6; 18:1; 21:25). Since Saul began his reign ca. 1043 B.C., a time shortly after his rule began is probably when Judges was written.

Background and Setting

Judges is a tragic sequel to Joshua. In Joshua, the people were obedient to God in conquering the Land. In Judges, they were disobedient, idolatrous, and often defeated. Judges 1:1-3:6 focuses on the closing days of the book of Joshua. Judges 2:6-9 gives a review of Joshua’s death (cf. Josh 24:28-31). The account describes 7 distinct cycles of Israel’s drifting away from the Lord starting even before Joshua’s death, with a full departure into apostasy afterward. Five basic reasons are evident for these cycles of Israel’s moral and spiritual decline: 1) disobedience in failing to drive the Canaanites out of the Land (Judg 1:19, 21, 35); 2) idolatry (Jdg 2:12); 3) intermarriage with wicked Canaanites (Jdg 3:5, 6); 4) not heeding judges (Jdg 2:17); and 5) turning away from God after the death of the judges (Jdg 2:19).

A four-part sequence repeatedly occurred in this phase of Israel’s history: 1) Israel’s departure from God; 2) God’s chastisement in permitting military defeat and subjugation; 3) Israel’s prayer pleading for deliverance; and 4) God raising up “judges,” either civil or sometimes local military champions who led in shaking off the oppressors. Fourteen judges arose, six of them military judges (Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson). Two men were of special significance for contrast in spiritual leadership: 1) Eli, judge and High-Priest (not a good example); and 2) Samuel, judge, priest, and prophet (a good example).

Historical and Theological Themes

Judges is thematic rather than chronological; foremost among its themes is God’s power and covenant mercy in graciously delivering the Israelites from the consequences of their failures, which were suffered for sinful compromise (cf. 2:18, 19; 21:25). In 7 periods of sin to salvation (cf. Introduction: Outline), God compassionately delivered His people throughout the different geographical areas of tribal inheritances which He had earlier given through Joshua (Josh 13-22). The apostasy covered the whole land, as indicated by the fact that each area is specifically identified: southern (Jdg 3:7-31); northern (Jdg 4:1-5:31); central (Jdg 6:1-10:5); eastern (Jdg 10:6-12:15); and western (Jdg 13:1-16:31). His power to faithfully rescue shines against the dark backdrop of pitiful human compromise and sometimes bizarre twists of sin, as in the final summary (Judg 17-21). The last verse (Jdg 21:25) sums up the account: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Interpretive Challenges

The most stimulating challenges are: 1) how to view men’s violent acts against enemies or fellow countrymen, whether with God’s approval or without it; 2) God’s use of leaders who at times do His will and at times follow their own sinful impulse (Gideon, Eli, Jephthah, Samson); 3) how to view Jephthah’s vow and offering of his daughter (Jdg 11:30-40); and 4) how to resolve God’s sovereign will with His providential working in spite of human sin (cf. 14:4).

The chronology of the various judges in different sectors of the Land raises questions about how much time passed and how the time totals can fit into the entire time span from the Exodus (ca. 1445B.C.) to Solomon’s fourth year, ca 967/966 B.C., which is said to be 480 years (1 Kin 6:1; see Judg 11:26 and note). A reasonable explanation is that the deliverances and years of rest under the judges in distinct parts of the Land included overlaps, so that some of them did not run consecutively but rather concurrently during the 480 years. Paul’s estimate of “about 450” years in Acts 13:20 is an approximation.

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

A. Incomplete Conquest over the Canaanites (Jdg 1:1-36)
B. The Decline and Judgment of Israel (Jdg 2:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

A. First Period: Othniel vs. Mesopotamians (Jdg 3:7-11)
B. Second Period: Ehud and Shamgar vs. Moabites (Jdg 3:12-31)
C. Third Period: Deborah vs. Canaanites (Jdg 4:1-5:31)
D. Fourth Period: Gideon vs. Midianites (Jdg 6:1-8:32)
E. Fifth Period : Tola and Jair vs. Abimelech’s Effects (Jdg 8:33-10:5)
F. Sixth Period: Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon vs. Philistines and Ammonites (Jdg 10:6-
12:15)
G. Seventh Period: Samson vs. Philistines (Jdg 13:1-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

A. The Idolatry of Micah and the Danites (Jdg 17:1-18:31)
B. The Crime at Gibeah and War Against Benjamin (Jdg 19:1-21:25)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

The 1440 Agenda

Remembering Marcy

Study Bible

Introduction to Judgesby John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judgesby John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

Books of the Bible

Chapters in Judges

The 1440 Agenda

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur