Abimelech’s Conspiracy
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal 1went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother, Jdg 8:31Psa 83:2-41Ki 12:11Ki 12:201Ki 12:32Sa 15:6Gen 33:18Gen 34:2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.” Gen 29:14Jdg 8:301Ch 11:1Heb 2:142Sa 19:13Eph 5:30
And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” Gen 29:15Psa 10:3Pro 1:11-14 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver 2from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him. Jdg 8:332Ch 13:7Act 17:5Jdg 11:3Pro 12:111Sa 22:2Jdg 9:46-49Job 30:8 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself. 2Ki 11:1-22Ch 21:4Jdg 6:242Ki 10:17Jdg 8:30Jdg 9:2Mat 2:16Mat 2:20
Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak 3at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king. 1Ki 12:252Sa 5:91Ki 12:11Ki 12:202Ki 12:20Jos 24:26
Jotham’s Parable
When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: Deu 11:29Deu 27:12Isa 1:15Jhn 4:20Pro 28:9Jos 8:33Pro 1:28-29Pro 21:13
“Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem,
and may God listen to you.
One day the trees set out 2Ki 14:9Dan 4:10-18Jdg 8:22-23Ezk 17:3-10
to anoint a king for themselves.
They said to the olive tree,
‘Reign over us.’
But the olive tree replied, 1Jn 2:201Ki 19:15-16Act 10:38Act 4:27Exo 29:2Exo 29:7Exo 35:14Job 1:7
‘Should I stop giving my oil
that honors both God and man,
to hold sway over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the fig tree,
‘Come and reign over us.’
But the fig tree replied, Luk 13:6-7
‘Should I stop giving my sweetness
and my good fruit,
to hold sway over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the grapevine,
‘Come and reign over us.’
But the grapevine replied, Ecc 10:19Num 15:10Psa 104:15Num 15:5Pro 31:6Num 15:7
‘Should I stop giving my wine
that cheers both God and man,
to hold sway over the trees?’
Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 2Ki 14:9
‘Come and reign over us.’
But the thornbush replied, Isa 30:2Hos 14:7Isa 2:13Jdg 9:202Ki 14:9Dan 4:12Ezk 19:14Isa 37:24
‘If you really are anointing me as king over you,
come and find refuge in my shade.
But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush
and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves— Jdg 8:35 for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian, Jdg 7:1-25Rom 5:8Est 4:16Jdg 8:4-10Rev 12:11Rom 16:4 but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother— Jdg 9:5-6Psa 109:4Jdg 8:30-31Jdg 8:35Jdg 9:14 if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you. Isa 8:6Jas 4:16Php 3:3
But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.” Jdg 9:152Ch 20:22-23Jdg 9:56-57Psa 140:10Psa 28:4Jdg 7:22Jdg 9:23Psa 120:3-4
Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech. Jos 19:8Num 21:162Sa 20:14
Gaal Conspires with the Shechemites
After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years, God sent a spirit of animosity 4between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, Isa 33:1Isa 19:142Th 2:11-12Isa 19:21Ki 12:151Ki 22:22-231Sa 16:14-161Sa 18:9-10 in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. 1Ki 2:32Psa 7:16Est 9:251Sa 15:33Deu 27:25Jdg 9:56-57Mat 23:34-36Num 35:33
The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech. Pro 1:11-12Jos 8:12-13Jos 8:4
Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. Gen 13:8Gen 19:7 And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. Jdg 9:4Luk 17:26-291Sa 17:43Amo 6:3-6Dan 5:1-4Dan 5:23Exo 32:19Exo 32:6
Then Gaal 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? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? 1Sa 25:10Gen 34:2Gen 34:61Ki 12:162Sa 20:1 If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’” 5 2Sa 15:41Ki 20:112Ki 14:82Ki 18:232Sa 2:14-17Isa 36:8-9Psa 10:3Rom 1:30-31
The Fall of Shechem
When Zebul the governor of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he burned with anger. So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech 6to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up 7the city against you. Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields. Pro 1:11-16Pro 4:16Rom 3:15Job 24:14-17Psa 36:4 And in the morning at sunrise, get up and advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do to them whatever you are able.” 1Sa 10:7Ecc 9:101Sa 25:8Lev 25:26
So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places.
When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!” Ezk 7:7Mrk 8:24
But Zebul replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”
Then Gaal spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, 8 and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak. 9” Deu 18:14
“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!” Jdg 9:28-292Ki 14:8-142Sa 2:26-27Jer 2:28
So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech, but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate. 1Ki 20:18-211Ki 20:30 Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. Jdg 9:28Jdg 9:30
The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech. So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.
Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down. Gal 5:15Jdg 9:15Jdg 9:20 And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt. 2Ki 3:25Deu 29:231Ki 12:25Ezk 47:11Jas 2:13Psa 107:34Zep 2:9
On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith. 10 Jdg 8:33Jdg 9:4Psa 115:81Ki 8:262Ki 1:2-4Isa 28:15-18Isa 37:38Jdg 9:27 And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there, he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.” Psa 68:14Jdg 7:17-18Pro 1:11-12
So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women. Gal 5:15Jas 3:16Jdg 9:15Jdg 9:20
Abimelech’s Punishment
Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. 2Ki 15:162Ki 14:10Jdg 9:48-49 But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 2Sa 11:21Job 31:3Jdg 9:20Jer 49:20Jer 50:452Sa 20:21Jdg 9:15 He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” 1Sa 31:4-5
So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died. And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. 2Sa 18:16Pro 22:101Ki 22:35-362Sa 20:21-22
In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers. Psa 94:23Pro 5:22Gal 6:7Jdg 9:24Mat 7:2Psa 11:6Psa 58:10-11Psa 9:12 And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them. Jdg 9:201Ki 16:34Jdg 9:45Jos 6:26