Judges 9:26-29

Context

9:26 Gaal son of Ebed¹ came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him.² 9:27 They went out to the field, harvested their grapes,³ squeezed out the juice,⁴ and celebrated. They came to the temple⁵ 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?⁶ Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech?⁷ 9:29 If only these men⁸ were under my command,⁹ I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech,¹⁰ “Muster¹¹ your army and come out for battle!”¹²

[9:26] ¹sn 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] ²tn 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] ³tn Heb “vineyards.”

[9:27] ⁴tn 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.

[9:27] ⁵tn Heb “house.”

[9:28] ⁵tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

[9:28] ⁶tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:29] ⁷tn Heb “people.”

[9:29] ⁸tn Heb “in my hand.”

[9:29] ⁹tn 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] ¹⁰tn Heb “Make numerous.”

[9:29] ¹¹tn The words “for battle” are interpretive.