Discovery BoxJudges 8:24--9:57
Context8:24 Gideon continued, 1 “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” 2 (The Midianites 3 had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.) 8:25 They said, “We are happy to give you earrings.” 4 So they 5 spread out a garment, and each one threw an earring from his plunder onto it. 8:26 The total weight of the gold earrings he requested came to seventeen hundred gold shekels. 6 This was in addition to the crescent-shaped ornaments, jewelry, 7 purple clothing worn by the Midianite kings, and the necklaces on the camels. 8 8:27 Gideon used all this to make 9 an ephod, 10 which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. All the Israelites 11 prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it 12 there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family.
8:28 The Israelites humiliated Midian; the Midianites’ fighting spirit was broken. 13 The land had rest for forty years during Gideon’s time. 14 8:29 Then Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and settled down. 15 8:30 Gideon fathered seventy sons through his many wives. 16 8:31 His concubine, 17 who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. 18 8:32 Gideon son of Joash died at a very 19 old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash located in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
8:33 After Gideon died, the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They made Baal-Berith 20 their god. 8:34 The Israelites did not remain true 21 to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them. 8:35 They did not treat 22 the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) fairly in return for all the good he had done for Israel.
9:1 Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. 23 He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family, 24 9:2 “Tell 25 all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want 26 to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” 27 9:3 His mother’s relatives 28 spoke on his behalf to 29 all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. 30 The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; 31 they said, “He is our close relative.” 32 9:4 They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous 33 men as his followers. 34 9:5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, 35 the seventy legitimate 36 sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, 37 because he hid. 9:6 All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar 38 in Shechem.
9:7 When Jotham heard the news, 39 he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, 40 “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
9:8 “The trees were determined to go out 41 and choose a king for themselves. 42 They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ 43 9:9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ 44
9:10 “So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ 45 9:11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!’ 46
9:12 “So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ 47 9:13 But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!’ 48
9:14 “So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ 49 9:15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose 50 me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! 51 Otherwise 52 may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
9:16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, 53 if you have properly repaid him 54 – 9:17 my father fought for you; he risked his life 55 and delivered you from Midian’s power. 56 9:18 But you have attacked 57 my father’s family 58 today. You murdered his seventy legitimate 59 sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. 60 9:19 So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family 61 today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness! 62 9:20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!” 9:21 Then Jotham ran away 63 to Beer and lived there to escape from 64 Abimelech his half-brother. 65
9:22 Abimelech commanded 66 Israel for three years. 9:23 God sent a spirit to stir up hostility 67 between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal 68 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 69 who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. 70 9:25 The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting 71 bandits in 72 the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it. 73
9:26 Gaal son of Ebed 74 came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him. 75 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, 76 squeezed out the juice, 77 and celebrated. They came to the temple 78 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? 79 Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? 80 9:29 If only these men 81 were under my command, 82 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, 83 “Muster 84 your army and come out for battle!” 85
9:30 When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious. 86 9:31 He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, 87 reporting, “Beware! 88 Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming 89 to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you. 90 9:32 Now, come up 91 at night with your men 92 and set an ambush in the field outside the city. 93 9:33 In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.” 94
9:34 So Abimelech and all his men came up 95 at night and set an ambush outside Shechem – they divided into 96 four units. 9:35 When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places. 9:36 Gaal saw the men 97 and said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the tops of the hills.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadows on the hills – it just looks like men.” 98 9:37 Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center 99 of the land. A unit 100 is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” 101 9:38 Zebul said to him, “Where now are your bragging words, 102 ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the men 103 you insulted? 104 Go out now and fight them!” 9:39 So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out 105 and fought Abimelech. 9:40 Abimelech chased him, and Gaal 106 ran from him. Many Shechemites 107 fell wounded at the entrance of the gate. 9:41 Abimelech went back 108 to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem. 109
9:42 The next day the Shechemites 110 came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it, 111 9:43 he took his men 112 and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, 113 he attacked and struck them down. 114 9:44 Abimelech and his units 115 attacked and blocked 116 the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down. 9:45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled 117 the city and spread salt over it. 118
9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 119 heard the news, they went to the stronghold 120 of the temple of El-Berith. 121 9:47 Abimelech heard 122 that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place. 123 9:48 He and all his men 124 went up on Mount Zalmon. He 125 took an ax 126 in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it 127 on his shoulder and said to his men, “Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!” 128 9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches 129 against the stronghold and set fire to it. 130 All the people 131 of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.
9:50 Abimelech moved on 132 to Thebez; he besieged and captured it. 133 9:51 There was a fortified 134 tower 135 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 136 down on his 137 head and shattered his skull. 9:54 He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, 138 “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, 139 ‘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. 140
9:56 God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers. 141 9:57 God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell 142 on them.
[8:24] 1 tn Heb “said to them.”
[8:24] 2 tn Heb “Give to me, each one, an earring from his plunder.”
[8:24] 3 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Midianites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 4 tn Heb “We will indeed give.”
[8:25] 5 tc In the LXX the subject of this verb is singular, referring to Gideon rather than to the Israelites.
[8:26] 6 sn Seventeen hundred gold shekels would be about 42.7 pounds (19.4 kilograms) of gold.
[8:26] 8 tn Heb “the ornaments which were on the necks of their camels.”
[8:27] 9 tn Heb “made it into.”
[8:27] 10 sn In Exod 28:4-6 and several other texts an ephod is described as a priestly or cultic garment. In some cases an ephod is used to obtain a divine oracle (1 Sam 23:9; 30:7). Here the ephod is made of gold and is described as being quite heavy (70-75 lbs?). Some identify it as an idol, but it was more likely a cultic object fashioned in the form of a garment which was used for oracular purposes. For discussion of the ephod in the OT, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 236-43, and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 349-52.
[8:27] 11 tn Heb “Israel” (a collective singular).
[8:27] 12 tn The words “by worshiping it” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:28] 13 tn Heb “Midian was humbled before the Israelites, and they no longer lifted their heads.”
[8:28] 14 tn Heb “in the days of Gideon.”
[8:29] 15 tn Heb “went and lived in his house.”
[8:30] 16 tn Heb “Gideon had seventy sons who went out from his thigh, for he had many wives.” The Hebrew word יָרֵךְ (yarekh, “thigh”) is a euphemism here for the penis.
[8:31] 17 sn A concubine was a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern societies who was the legal property of her master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. After the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (2 Sam 21:10-14; 1 Kgs 11:3).
[8:31] 18 sn The name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
[8:33] 20 sn Baal-Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.
[8:35] 22 tn Heb “did not do loyalty with,” or “did not act faithfully toward.”
[9:1] 24 tn Heb “to all the extended family of the house of the father of his mother.”
[9:2] 25 tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”
[9:2] 26 tn Heb “What good is it to you?”
[9:2] 27 tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”
[9:3] 29 tn Heb “into the ears of.”
[9:3] 30 tn Heb “and all these words.”
[9:3] 31 tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”
[9:3] 32 tn Heb “our brother.”
[9:4] 33 tn Heb “empty and reckless.”
[9:4] 34 tn Heb “and they followed him.”
[9:5] 35 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[9:5] 36 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:6] 38 tc The translation assumes that the form in the Hebrew text (מֻצָּב, mutsav) is a corruption of an original מַצֵּבָה (matsevah, “pillar”). The reference is probably to a pagan object of worship (cf. LXX).
[9:7] 39 tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.
[9:7] 40 tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”
[9:8] 41 tn Heb “Going they went, the trees.” The precise emphatic force of the infinitive absolute (“Going”) is not entirely clear. Perhaps here it indicates determination, as in Gen 31:30, where one might translate, “You have insisted on going away.”
[9:8] 42 tn Heb “to anoint [with oil] over them a king.”
[9:8] 43 tn Or “Rule over us!”
[9:9] 44 tn Heb “Should I stop my abundance, with which they honor gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:10] 45 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:11] 46 tn Heb “Should I stop my sweetness and my good fruit and go to sway over the trees? The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:12] 47 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:13] 48 tn Heb “Should I stop my wine, which makes happy gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?” The negative sentence in the translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question.
[9:14] 49 tn Or “and rule over us!”
[9:15] 50 tn Heb “are about to anoint [with oil].”
[9:15] 51 tn Heb “in my shade.”
[9:16] 54 tn Heb “if according to the deeds of his hands you have done to him.”
[9:17] 55 tc Heb “threw his life out in front,” that is, “exposed himself to danger.” The MT form מִנֶּגֶד (minneged, “from before”) should probably be read as מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (minnegdo, “from before him”); haplography of vav has likely occurred here in the MT.
[9:18] 57 tn Heb “have risen up against.”
[9:18] 59 tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:18] 60 tn Heb “your brother.”
[9:19] 62 tn Heb “then rejoice in Abimelech, and may he also rejoice in you.”
[9:21] 63 tn Heb “fled and ran away and went.”
[9:21] 64 tn Heb “from before.”
[9:21] 65 tn Heb “his brother.”
[9:22] 66 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]).
[9:23] 67 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.”
[9:23] 68 tn Heb “The leaders of Shechem were disloyal.” The words “he made” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:24] 69 tn Heb “their brother.”
[9:24] 70 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.”
[9:25] 71 tn Heb “set against him bandits.”
[9:25] 72 tn Heb “on the tops of.”
[9:25] 73 tn Heb “It was told to Abimelech.”
[9:26] 74 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.
[9:26] 75 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).
[9:27] 77 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.
[9:28] 79 tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”
[9:28] 80 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:29] 82 tn Heb “in my hand.”
[9:29] 83 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…’”
[9:29] 84 tn Heb “Make numerous.”
[9:29] 85 tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.
[9:30] 86 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
[9:31] 87 tn The form בְּתָרְמָה (bÿtarmah) in the Hebrew text, which occurs only here, has traditionally been understood to mean “secretly” or “with deception.” If this is correct, it is derived from II רָמָה (ramah, “to deceive”). Some interpreters object, pointing out that this would imply Zebul was trying to deceive Abimelech, which is clearly not the case in this context. But this objection is unwarranted. If retained, the phrase would refer instead to deceptive measures used by Zebul to avoid the suspicion of Gaal when he dispatched the messengers from Shechem. The present translation assumes an emendation to “in Arumah” (בָּארוּמָה, ba’rumah), a site mentioned in v. 41 as the headquarters of Abimelech. Confusion of alef and tav in archaic Hebrew script, while uncommon, is certainly not unimaginable.
[9:31] 89 tn The participle, as used here, suggests Gaal and his brothers are in the process of arriving, but the preceding verses imply they have already settled in. Perhaps Zebul uses understatement to avoid the appearance of negligence on his part. After all, if he made the situation sound too bad, Abimelech, when he was informed, might ask why he had allowed this rebellion to reach such a stage.
[9:31] 90 tn The words “to rebel” are interpretive. The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb צוּר (tsur) is unclear here. It is best to take it in the sense of “to instigate; to incite; to provoke” (see Deut 2:9, 19 and R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178).
[9:32] 92 tn Heb “you and the people who are with you.”
[9:32] 93 tn The words “outside the city” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:33] 94 tn Heb “Look! He and the people who are with him will come out to you, and you will do to him what your hand finds [to do].”
[9:34] 95 tn Heb “and all the people who were with him arose.”
[9:34] 96 tn Heb “four heads.” The words “they divided into” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:36] 97 tn Heb “the people” (also in vv. 38, 43, 48). These were warriors, so “men” has been used in the translation, since in ancient Israelite culture soldiers would have been exclusively males.
[9:36] 98 tn Heb “the shadow on the hills you are seeing, like men.”
[9:37] 99 tn Heb “navel.” On the background of the Hebrew expression “the navel of the land,” see R. G. Boling, Judges (AB), 178-79.
[9:37] 101 tn Some English translations simply transliterated this as a place name (Heb “Elon-meonenim”); cf. NAB, NRSV.
[9:38] 102 tn Heb “is your mouth that says.”
[9:38] 103 tn Heb “the people.”
[9:39] 105 tn Heb “So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem.”
[9:40] 106 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gaal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:40] 107 tn The word “Shechemites” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for clarification.
[9:41] 108 tc Heb “stayed.” Some scholars revise the vowel pointing on this verb from that of the MT, resulting in the translation “and he returned to.” The Lucianic recension of the LXX understands the word in this way.
[9:41] 109 tn Heb “drove…out from dwelling in Shechem.”
[9:42] 110 tn Heb “the people”; the referent (the Shechemites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:42] 111 tn Heb “And they told Abimelech.”
[9:43] 112 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:43] 113 tn Heb “And he saw and, look, the people were coming out of the city.”
[9:43] 114 tn Heb “he arose against them and struck them.”
[9:44] 115 tn Or possibly, “the unit that was with him.”
[9:44] 116 tn Heb “stood [at].”
[9:45] 118 tn Heb “sowed it with salt.”
[9:46] 119 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.
[9:46] 120 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.
[9:46] 121 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.
[9:47] 122 tn Heb “and it was told to Abimelech.”
[9:47] 123 tn Heb “were assembled.”
[9:48] 124 tn Heb “his people.”
[9:48] 125 tn Heb “Abimelech.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun (“he”) due to considerations of English style.
[9:48] 126 tn The Hebrew text has the plural here.
[9:48] 127 tn Heb “he lifted it and put [it].”
[9:48] 128 tn Heb “What you have seen me do, quickly do like me.”
[9:49] 129 tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:49] 130 tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”
[9:49] 131 tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.
[9:50] 133 tn Heb “he camped near Thebez and captured it.”
[9:51] 135 tn Or “fortress.” The same Hebrew term occurs once more in this verse and twice in v. 52.
[9:53] 136 sn A hand mill consisted of an upper stone and larger lower stone. One would turn the upper stone with a handle to grind the grain, which was placed between the stones. An upper millstone, which was typically about two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, probably weighed 25-30 pounds (11.4-13.6 kg). See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 268; C. F. Burney, Judges, 288.
[9:53] 137 tn Heb “Abimelech’s.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun “his” in the translation in keeping with conventions of English narrative style.
[9:54] 138 tn The Hebrew text adds, “and said to him.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:54] 139 tn The Hebrew text adds, “concerning me.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:55] 140 tn Heb “each to his own place.”
