9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 6 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 7
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 8 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 9 of the temple of El-Berith. 10
1 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.”
2 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
5 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
6 tn Heb “were assembled.”
7 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.
8 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).
9 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
10 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.
11 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.