Judges 9:13 - Prayer Tents

Judges 9

Abimelech Attempts to Become King

9Then Jerubbaal's son Abimelech went to his mother's relatives in Shechem. He spoke to the entire family of his mother's father, telling them, "Ask all the "lords" of Shechem, 'What's better for you?That 70 men, each of them Jerubbaal's sons, rule over you?Or that one man rule over you?' Keep in mind that I'm like your own close relative."H40H1121H3378H3212H7927H517H251H1696H4940H1004H517H1H5593So his mother's relatives spoke all of this on his behalf in the presence of all the "lords" of Shechem. Since they were inclined to follow Abimelech, they said, "He's our relative!"H517H251H1696H241H1167H7927H1697H3820H5186H310H40H559H2514and they gave him 70 silver coins from the temple that they had built to Baal-berith. Abimelech hired some worthless and useless men, who followed himH5414H7657H3701H1004H1170H40H7936H7386H6348H582H3212H3105to his father's house in Ophrah. There he murdered his own brothers, Jerubbaal's sons - all 70 of them - in one place. But Jerubbaal's youngest son Jotham survived by hiding himself.H935H1H1004H6084H2026H251H1121H3378H7657H376H259H68H3147H6996H1121H3378H3498H22446All the men from Shechem and Beth-millo gathered together and set up Abimelech as king near the pillar erected in Shechem.H1167H7927H622H1004H4407H1037H3212H4427H40H4428H436H5324H79277When Jotham was informed about this, he went out, took his stand on top of Mount Gerizim, and cried out loudly, "Listen to me, you "lords" of Shechem, and God will listen to you.H5046H3147H3212H5975H7218H2022H1630H5375H6963H7121H559H8085H1167H7927H430H80858"Once upon a time the trees went out to consecrate a king for themselves. "So they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!'H6086H1980H1980H4886H4428H559H2132H44279But the olive tree asked them, 'Should I stop producing my rich oils by which both God and men are honored and go take dominion over trees?'H2132H559H2308H1880H3513H430H582H1980H5128H608610"So the trees said to the fig tree, 'Hey you! Come and reign over us!'H6086H559H8384H3212H442711But the fig tree asked them, 'Should I leave my sweet, good fruit and go take dominion over trees?'H8384H559H2308H4987H2896H8570H1980H5128H608612"So the trees said to the grape vine, 'Hey you! Come and reign over us!'H559H6086H1612H3212H442713But the grape vine asked them, 'Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go take dominion over trees?'H1612H559H2308H8492H8055H430H582H1980H5128H608614"So all the trees said to the bramble bush, 'Hey you! Come and reign over us!'H559H6086H329H3212H442715Then the bramble bush replied to the trees, 'If you really are consecrating me to rule you, come and put your confidence in my shade; but if not, may fire spring out from the bramble bush and burn up the cedars of Lebanon…'H329H559H6086H571H4886H4428H935H2620H6738H784H3318H329H398H730H384416"Now then, if you have been acting in good faith and integrity by making a king out of Abimelech, if you have treated Jerubbaal and his household appropriately by acting toward him as he deserved?H6213H571H8549H40H4427H6213H2896H3378H1004H6213H1576H302717because my father fought on your behalf, throwing away all concern for his own life, and delivered you from Midian's domination.H1H3898H7993H5315H5048H5337H3027H408018"But now as for you, you've rebelled against my father's house today. You've murdered his sons - 70 men - in one place, and you've installed Abimelech, the son of his mistress, as king to rule over the "lords" of Shechem, since he's related to you.H6965H1H1004H3117H2026H1121H7657H376H259H68H40H1121H519H4427H1167H7927H25119So if you've acted in good faith and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his household today, then you're welcome to Abimelech, and he's welcome to you…H6213H571H8549H3378H1004H3117H8055H40H805520But if not, may fire spring out from Abimelech and consume the "lords" of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire spring out from the "lords" of Shechem and Beth-millo to consume Abimelech."H784H3318H40H398H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H784H3318H1167H7927H1004H4407H1037H398H4021Then Jotham escaped by running away. He went to Beer and remained there because of his brother Abimelech.18H3147H1272H5127H3212H876H3427H6440H40H251

The Destruction of Shechem

22Abimelech dominated Israel for three years.H40H7786H7969H8141H347823Then God sent an evil spirit to divide Abimelech and the "lords" of ShechemH430H7971H7451H7307H40H1167H7927H1167H7927H898H4024so that the violence committed against the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might come back on their brother Abimelech, who murdered them, and so it might come back on the "lords" of Shechem, who provoked him to murder his brothers.H2555H7657H1121H3378H935H1818H7760H40H251H2026H1167H7927H2388H3027H2026H25125The "lords" of Shechem sent out men to ambush him on the mountain tops, and they robbed everyone who came by them along the roads, and this was reported to Abimelech.H1167H7927H7760H693H7218H2022H1497H5674H1870H5046H4026Meanwhile, Ebed's son Gaal arrived with his relatives and crossed over into Shechem. The "lords" of Shechem put their faith in him.H1603H1121H5651H935H251H5674H7927H1167H7927H98227They went out into the fields, harvested their vineyards, made some wine, and threw a party. Then they went into the temple of their god, ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.H3318H7704H1219H3754H1869H6213H1974H935H1004H430H398H8354H7043H4028Then Ebed's son Gaal remarked, "Who is this Abimelech?And who is Shechem?Should we serve him?Isn't he Jerubbaal's son?Isn't Zebul his lieutenant?Serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's ancestor - but why are we serving him?H1603H1121H5651H559H40H7927H5647H1121H3378H2083H6496H5647H582H2544H1H7927H564729If only authority over this people were given to me. Then I would remove Abimelech!" Then he challenged Abimelech: "Build up your army and then come out and fight!"H5971H5414H3027H5493H40H559H40H7235H6635H331830When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard what Ebed's son Gaal had said, he flew into a rage.H2083H8269H5892H8085H1697H1603H1121H5651H639H273431He sent messengers to Abimelech in secret and told him, "Look out! Ebed's son Gaal and his family have arrived here in Shechem. Watch out! They're stirring up the city against you.H7971H4397H40H8649H559H1603H1121H5651H251H935H7927H6696H589232So get up at night, take your soldiers with you, and wait in ambush out in the field.H6965H3915H5971H693H770433Tomorrow morning when the sun is up, get up early and attack the city. When Gaal and his army come out to fight you, do whatever you can to them."H1242H8121H2224H7925H6584H5892H5971H3318H6213H3027H467234So Abimelech and his entire army got up that night and waited in ambush against Shechem in four separate companies.H40H6965H5971H3915H693H7927H702H721835Ebed's son Gaal went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate while Abimelech and his army were creeping out of their ambush.H1603H1121H5651H3318H5975H6607H8179H5892H40H6965H5971H399336When Gaal saw the army, he observed to Zebul, "Look there! People are coming down from the top of the mountains." But Zebul replied to him, "You're looking at morning shadows cast by the mountains. They just look like men to you."H1603H7200H5971H559H2083H3381H5971H3381H7218H2022H2083H559H7200H6738H2022H58237Gaal spoke up again to say, "Look! People are coming down from the highest part of the land, and there's a company approaching from the diviner's oak tree."H1603H1696H3254H559H3381H5971H3381H2872H776H259H7218H935H436H1870H604938So Zebul replied, "Right... So where's your boasting now?You said, 'Who is Abimelech?Should we serve him?' Isn't this the army that you insulted?So go out right now and fight them!"H559H2083H645H6310H559H40H5647H5971H3988H3318H4994H389839So Gaal went out in full view of the "lords" of Shechem and fought Abimelech.H1603H3318H6440H1167H7927H3898H4040Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran away from him. Many fell wounded right up to the entrance to the city gate.H40H7291H5127H6440H7227H5307H2491H6607H817941Afterwards, Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul expelled Gaal and his family so they couldn't remain in Shechem.H40H3427H725H2083H1644H1603H251H3427H792742The next day, the people went out to the field, and Abimelech learned about it.H4283H5971H3318H7704H5046H4043So he took his army, divided it into three separate companies, and laid in ambush out in the field. When Abimelech noticed the people coming out from the city, his army attacked them and killed them.H3947H5971H2673H7969H7218H693H7704H7200H5971H3318H5892H6965H522144Then Abimelech and the soldiers who were with him rushed forward and commandeered the entrance to the city gate while the other two companies ran out to kill everyone who was in the field.H40H7218H6584H5975H6607H8179H5892H8147H7218H6584H7704H522145Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured the city, killed the people in it, then tore the city to the ground and sowed it with salt.H40H3898H5892H3117H3920H5892H2026H5971H5422H5892H2232H441746When all the "lords" at the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they retreated into the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.H1167H4026H7927H8085H935H6877H1004H410H128647Abimilech was told that all of the "lords" of the Shechem Tower had assembled there.H5046H40H1167H4026H7927H690848So he went up to Mount Zalmon, accompanied by his entire army. Abimelech had an axe in his hand, so he cut down a branch from a tree, lifted it up, and laid it on his shoulder. Then he told the army that had accompanied him, "You've seen what I just did. Hurry up! Do the same thing!"947H40H5927H2022H6756H5971H40H3947H7134H3027H3772H7754H6086H5375H7760H7926H559H5971H7200H6213H4116H6213H364449Then his entire army also cut down a branch for each soldier, followed Abimelech to the inner chamber, and set fire to it on fire while they were inside. As a result, all the men of the tower of Shechem died, including about a thousand men and women.H5971H3772H376H7754H3212H310H40H7760H6877H3341H6877H784H582H4026H7927H4191H505H376H802

The Death of Abimelech

50Later on, Abimelech went to Thebez, set up a siege encampment there, and captured it.H3212H40H8405H2583H8405H392051But there was a fortified tower in the center of the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city escaped to it, shut themselves in, and went up to the roof of the tower.H5797H4026H8432H5892H5127H582H802H1167H5892H5462H5927H1406H402652So Abimelech approached the tower, attacked it, and approached the tower's gate, intending to burn it down.H40H935H4026H3898H5066H6607H4026H8313H78453But a certain woman threw an upper milestone down on Abimelech's head, fracturing his skull.51H259H802H7993H6400H7393H40H7218H7533H153854So he cried out to his young armor bearer and ordered him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so no one will say about me that 'A woman killed him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died.H7121H4120H5288H5375H3627H559H8025H2719H4191H559H802H2026H5288H1856H419155When the men of Israel noticed that Abimelech was dead, they each left for home.H376H3478H7200H40H4191H3212H376H472556That's how God repaid Abimelech for the evil thing he did to his father by killing his 70 brothers.H430H7725H7451H40H6213H1H2026H7657H25157God also repaid the men of Shechem for their wickedness, and the curse of Jerubbaal's son Jotham came true for them.954H7451H582H7927H430H7725H7218H935H7045H3147H1121H3378