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Texts -- Judges 9:46-57 (NET)

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9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard the news, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith . 9:47 Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place . 9:48 He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon . He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch . He put it on his shoulder and said to his men , “Quickly , do what you have just seen me do !” 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech . They put the branches against the stronghold and set fire to it . All the people of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women . 9:50 Abimelech moved on to Thebez ; he besieged and captured it. 9:51 There was a fortified tower in the center of the city , so all the men and women , as well as the city’s leaders , ran into it and locked the entrance. Then they went up to the roof of the tower . 9:52 Abimelech came and attacked the tower . When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire , 9:53 a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull . 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons , “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say , ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died . 9:55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead , they went home . 9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers . 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds . The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.

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Bible Dictionary

  • Abimelech

    [ebd] my father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as "Pharaoh" was of the Egyptian kings. (1.) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham (Gen. 20:1-18). By an interposition of Providence...
    [isbe] ABIMELECH - a-bim'-e-lek ('abhimelekh, "father of a king"): A name borne by five Old Testament persons. (1) The name of two kings of Philistia; the first was a contemporary of Abraham, the second, probably son of the former,...
    [nave] ABIMELECH 1. King of Gerar, Gen. 20; 21:22-32. 2. King of Gerar, Gen. 26. 3. Son of Gideon, Judg. 8:31; 9; 2 Sam. 11:21. 4. See: Achish; Ahimelech.

  • Thebez

    [ebd] brightness, a place some 11 miles north-east of Shechem, on the road to Scythopolis, the modern Tabas. Abimelech led his army against this place, because of its participation in the conspiracy of the men of Shechem; but as h...
    [isbe] THEBEZ - the'-bez (tebhets, "'brightness"; Codex Vaticanus Thebes; Codex Alexandrinus Thaibais): A city in Mt. Ephraim which refused submission to Abimelech when he set up as king of Israel. After the reduction of Shechem he...
    [smith] (conspicuous), a place memorable for the death of the brave Abimelech, (Judges 9:50) was known to Eusebius and Jerome, in whose time it was situated "in the district of Neapolis," 13 Roman miles therefrom, on the road to Scyt...
    [nave] THEBEZ, a city, in besieging which Abimelech was slain, Judg. 9:50-56; 2 Sam. 11:21.

  • Shechem

    [isbe] SHECHEM - she'-kem (shekhem, "shoulder"; Suchem, he Sikima, ta Sikima, etc.; the King James Version gives "Sichem" in Gen 12:6; and "Sychem" in Acts 7:16): 1. Historical: This place is first mentioned in connection with Abra...
    [nave] SHECHEM 1. Called also Sichem and Sychem, a district in the central part of the land of Canaan. Abraham dwells in, Gen. 12:6. Jacob buys a piece of ground in, and erects an altar, Gen. 33:18-20. The flocks and herds of Jac...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • CITY

    [ebd] The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities o...
    [isbe] CITY - sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis): I. THE CANAANITE CITY 1. Origin 2. Extent 3. Villages 4. Sites 5. External Appearance 6. General II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION 1. Tower or Stronghold 2. High Place 3. Broad Place 4...

  • Judge

    [nave] JUDGE Appointed by Persians, Ezra 7:25. Kings and other rulers as, 2 Sam. 8:15; 15:2; 1 Kin. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Kin. 8:1-6; Psa. 72:1-4; Matt. 27:11-26; Acts 23:34, 35; 24; 25:11, 12. Priests and Levites as, Deut. 17:9; 2 Ch...

  • Judgments

    [nave] JUDGMENTS On the serpent, Gen. 3:14, 15. Eve, Gen. 3:16; Adam, Gen. 3:17-19. Cain, Gen. 4:11-15; the Antediluvians, Gen. 6; 7; Sodomites, Gen. 19:23-25; Egyptians, the plagues and overthrow, Ex. 7-14; Nadab and Abihu, Lev....

  • HAMOR

    [isbe] HAMOR - ha'-mor (chamor, "an ass"; Emmor): Hamor was the father of Shechem from whom Jacob bought a piece of ground on his return from Paddan-aram for one hundred pieces of silver (Gen 33:19), and the burial place of Joseph ...

  • TOWER OF SHECHEM

    [isbe] TOWER OF SHECHEM - (mighdal shekhem): Mentioned only in Jdg 9:46-49. It seems along with the Beth-millo and the Beth-el-berith to have comprised the three strongest parts of the fortification when Abimelech besieged the town...

  • Zalmon

    [ebd] shady. (1.) One of David's warriors, called the Ahohite (2 Sam. 23:28); called also Ilai (1 Chr. 11:29). (2.) A wood near Shechem, from which Abimelech and his party brought boughs and "put them to the hold" of Shechem, "and...
    [isbe] ZALMON - zal'-mon (tsalmon; Selmon, oros Ermon; the King James Version Salmon (Ps 68:14)): (1) From the slopes of Mt. Zalmon, Abimelech and his followers gathered the wood with which they burned down "the stronghold of the h...
    [nave] ZALMON 1. Called also Salmon, probably. A hill in Samaria, Judg. 9:48; Psa. 68:14. 2. One of David's warriors, 2 Sam. 23:28.

  • SIEGE

    [isbe] SIEGE - sej (matsor (Dt 28:52,53; 1 Ki 15:27; 2 Ki 25:2; Isa 29:3; Ezek 4:2); "to be besieged," "to suffer siege," ba-matsor bo' (Dt 20:19; 2 Ki 24:10; 25:2)): 1. In Early Hebrew History 2. In the Monarchy 3. Preliminaries t...

  • Jotham

    [isbe] JOTHAM - jo'-tham (yotham, "Yahweh is perfect"; Ioatham): (1) The youngest son of Gideon-Jerubbaal, the sole survivor of the massacre of his seventy brothers by Abimelech (Jdg 9:5), and (by Jdg 8:22) the legitimate ruler of ...
    [nave] JOTHAM 1. Son of Gideon, Judg. 9:5, 57. Rebukes the Shechemites in the parable of the trees, Judg. 9:7-21. 2. Son of Azariah, king of Judah, 2 Kin. 15:5-7, 32, 38; 1 Chr. 3:12; 2 Chr. 26:21-23; 27. Piety of, 2 Chr. 27. T...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Tower

    [nave] TOWER Of Babel, Gen. 11:1-9. Of Edar, Gen. 35:21. Of Penuel, Judg. 8:8, 9, 17. Of Shechem, Judg. 9:46, 49. Of Meah, Neh. 3:1; 12:39. Of Hananeel, Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Jer. 31:38; Zech. 14:10. Of David, Song 4:4. Of Syene,...

  • BRANCH ;BOUGH

    [isbe] BRANCH ;BOUGH - bransh: Represented by very many words in the Hebrew. (1) zemorah used especially of a vine branch. The spies "cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes" (Nu 13:23). See also Ezek 15:2; Nah 2:2...

  • MILL

    [ebd] for grinding corn, mentioned as used in the time of Abraham (Gen. 18:6). That used by the Hebrews consisted of two circular stones, each 2 feet in diameter and half a foot thick, the lower of which was called the "nether mil...
    [smith] The mills of the ancient Hebrews probably differed but little from those at present in use in the East. These consist of two circular stones, each about eighteen inches or two feet in diameter, the lower of which is fixed, an...

  • SALMON

    [ebd] shady; or Zalmon (q.v.), a hill covered with dark forests, south of Shechem, from which Abimelech and his men gathered wood to burn that city (Judg. 9:48). In Ps. 68:14 the change from war to peace is likened to snow on the ...
    [smith] a hill near Shechem, on which Abimelech and his followers cut down the boughs with which they set the tower of Shechem on fire. (Judges 9:48) Its exact position is not known. Referred to in (Psalms 68:14)

  • Millo

    [ebd] (Heb. always with the article, "the" Millo). (1.) Probably the Canaanite name of some fortification, consisting of walls filled in with earth and stones, which protected Jerusalem on the north as its outermost defence. It is...

  • Baal-berith

    [ebd] covenant lord, the name of the god worshipped in Shechem after the death of Gideon (Judg. 8:33; 9:4). In 9:46 he is called simply "the god Berith." The name denotes the god of the covenant into which the Israelites entered w...
    [nave] BAAL-BERITH A god of the Shechemites, Judg. 9:4. Worshiped by Israelites, Judg. 8:3. Called Berith, Judg. 9:46.

  • Armor-bearer

    [isbe] ARMOR-BEARER - ar'-mer-bar'-er (nose' keli; Greek uses a phrase, ho airon ta skeue, literally "the one carrying the armor"): One who carried the large shield and perhaps other weapons for a king (1 Sam 31:4), commander-in-ch...
    [nave] ARMOR-BEARER, an attendant who carried a soldier's equipment. Of Abimelech, Judg. 9:54; Jonathan, 1 Sam. 14:6, 7, 12, 14, 17; Saul, 1 Sam. 16:21; 31:6; Goliath, 1 Sam. 17:7; Joab, 2 Sam. 18:15.
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • I. The reason for Israel's apostasy 1:1-3:6A. Hostilities between the Israelites and the Canaanites after Joshua's death 1:1-2:51. Initial successes and failures ch. 12. The announcement of God's discipline 2:1-5B. Israel's c...
  • The first major section in the book (1:1-3:6) explains very clearly why the period of the judges was a dark chapter in Israel's history. God revealed the reasons for Israel's apostasy and consequent national problems in terms...
  • Israel's JudgesJudgeScriptureIsrael's OppressorsLength in YearsNation(s)King(s)OppressionJudgeshipPeaceOthniel3:7-11MesopotamiaCushan-rishathaim8(ca. 1358-1350 B.C.)40(ca. 1350-1310 B.C.)Ehud3:12-30Moab (with Ammon & Amal...
  • 4:1-3 As long as Ehud lived he kept Israel faithful to God (v. 1). However after he died, God's people again turned from the Lord. In discipline God allowed the Canaanites in the North to gain strength and dominate the Israel...
  • The writer of Judges structured this book so the story of Gideon would be its focal center."Within the main body of the book, seven major narrative blocks can be noted. Moreover, there are certain parallel features between th...
  • Tanner also pointed out that the Gideon narrative consists of five primary structural sections."The first section (6:1-10) provides the introduction and setting before Gideon's debut, the second section (6:11-32) gives the co...
  • These verses wrap up the story of Gideon and introduce the story of Abimelech that follows (ch. 9).Gideon enjoyed the fruits of his heroism for the rest of his life. He was wealthy enough to afford many wives who bore him 70 ...
  • After Gideon's death the Israelites again wandered from the Lord (cf. 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). They even made a covenant with Baal in disobedience to God's law. "Baal-berith"(v. 33) means "Baal of the covenant."Ironica...
  • Though Gideon had rejected kingship officially (8:23), though not practically, Abimelech desired it for himself. He also hated his half-brothers, presumably because he was the son of a concubine rather than the son of one of ...
  • Abimelech's rule over Israel appears to have been very small in scope as well as short in duration. He was only the ruler of Shechem and its surrounding territory. He evidently lived in Arumah about five miles to the southeas...
  • Abimelech suffered an ignominious death suitable to a man of his character. Thebez (v. 50) was probably another name for Tirzah northeast of Shechem.204The upper millstone the woman threw down on Abimelech was probably about ...
  • Verses 1-33 record Jephthah's success. The rest of his story (11:34-12:7) relates his failure. The writer likewise recorded Gideon's success first (6:1-8:23) and then his failure (8:24-9:57). We shall find a similar pattern w...
  • The writer's emphasis now shifts from Jephthah's foolishness to Ephraim's arrogance.The Ephraimites were the Gileadites' neighbors to the west. They resented the fact that Jephthah had not requested their assistance in the wa...
  • The following two extended incidents (ch. 17-21) differ from the records of the judges just completed (chs. 3-16). They are not accounts of the activities of any of Israel's judges. They are the record of events that took pla...
  • The Danites' defeat of the inhabitants of Laish appears cruel and unjustified (cf. 9:45-49). The town that seemed so desirable to the spies was really vulnerable and isolated. Its advantages proved to be weaknesses. Since God...
  • The Book of Joshua recorded Israel's victory over her enemies through trust in and obedience to God. The Book of Judges shows the defeat of the nation by its enemies from without and within due to refusal to trust and obey Go...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. Land of the Bible. Phildelphia: Westminster Press, 1962.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The...
  • David compounded his sin by trying to cover it up rather than confessing it. He tried three cover-ups: a "clean"one (vv. 6-11), a "dirty"one (vv. 12-13), and a "criminal"one (vv. 14-17).178David's suggestion that Uriah go hom...
  • 68:7-10 The Canaanites also credited Baal with lightning, thunder, rain, and earthquakes. However Yahweh sent these to confirm His presence among His people in their wilderness wanderings and to provide for them. In the Penta...
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