9:22 Abimelech commanded 1 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 2 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 3 to Abimelech. 9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother 4 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 5 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 6 bandits in 7 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 8
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 9 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 10 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 11 squeezed out the juice, 12 and celebrated. They came to the temple 13 of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. 9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? 14 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 15 9:29 If only these men 16 were under my command, 17 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 18 “Muster 19 your army and come out for battle!” 20
1 tn The Hebrew verb translated “commanded” (שָׂרַר, sarar), which appears only here in Judges, differs from the ones employed earlier in this chapter (מָשַׁל [mashal] and מָלַךְ [malakh]).
2 tn Heb “an evil spirit.” A nonphysical, spirit being is in view, like the one who volunteered to deceive Ahab (1 Kgs 22:21). The traditional translation, “evil spirit,” implies the being is inherently wicked, perhaps even demonic, but this is not necessarily the case. The Hebrew adjective רָעַה (ra’ah) can have a nonethical sense, “harmful; dangerous; calamitous.” When modifying רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) it may simply indicate that the being in view causes harm to the object of God’s judgment. G. F. Moore (Judges [ICC], 253) here refers to a “mischief-making spirit.”
3 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “their brother.”
4 tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”
4 tn Heb “set against him bandits.”
5 tn Heb “on the tops of.”
6 tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”
5 sn The name Gaal derives from, or at least sounds like, a Hebrew verb meaning “to abhor, loathe.” His father’s name, Ebed, means “servant.” Perhaps then this could be translated, “loathsome one, son of a servant.” This individual’s very name (which may be the narrator’s nickname for him, not his actual name) seems to hint at his immoral character and lowly social status.
6 tn Heb “trusted in him.” Here the verb probably describes more than a mental attitude. It is likely that the Shechemites made an alliance with Gaal and were now trusting him for protection in return for their loyalty (and probably tribute).
6 tn Heb “vineyards.”
7 tn Heb “stomped” or “trampled.” This refers to the way in which the juice was squeezed out in the wine vats by stepping on the grapes with one’s bare feet. For a discussion of grape harvesting in ancient Israel, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 110-14.
8 tn Heb “house.”
7 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
8 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “people.”
9 tn Heb “in my hand.”
10 tn Heb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech…’”
11 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
12 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.