Judges 9:1
New International Version
Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,

New Living Translation
One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles—his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family,

English Standard Version
Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,

Berean Standard Bible
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,

King James Bible
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

New King James Version
Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

New American Standard Bible
Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the entire family of the household of his mother’s father, saying,

NASB 1995
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father, saying,

NASB 1977
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father, saying,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and spoke to them and to the whole family of the household of his mother’s father, saying,

Amplified Bible
Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives, and said to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father,

Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem and spoke to his uncles and to his mother’s whole clan, saying,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and spoke to them and to all his maternal grandfather’s clan, saying, “

American Standard Version
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Contemporary English Version
Abimelech the son of Gideon went to Shechem. While there, he met with his mother's relatives

English Revised Version
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal [Gideon], went to Shechem to see the uncles on his mother's side of the family. He spoke to them and his mother's whole family.

Good News Translation
Gideon's son Abimelech went to the town of Shechem, where all his mother's relatives lived, and told them

International Standard Version
Then Jerubbaal's son Abimelech went to his mother's relatives in Shechem. He spoke to the entire family of his mother's father, telling them,

Majority Standard Bible
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother?s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,

NET Bible
Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother's relatives. He said to them and to his mother's entire extended family,

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

World English Bible
Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Abimelech son of Jerubba‘al goes to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and speaks to them, and to all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

Young's Literal Translation
and Abimelech son of Jerubbaal goeth to Shechem, unto his mother's brethren, and speaketh unto them, and unto all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abimelech son of Jerubbaal, will come to Shechem to his mother's brethren, and say to them, to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abimelech the son of Jerobaal went to Sichem to his mother's brethren and spoke to them, and to all the kindred of his mother's father, saying:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem, to his maternal brothers, and he spoke to them, and to all the relatives of the house of his maternal grandfather, saying:

New American Bible
Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal, went to his mother’s kin in Shechem, and said to them and to the whole clan to which his mother’s family belonged,

New Revised Standard Version
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s kinsfolk and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
AND Abimeleck the son of Nedo-baal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and spoke to them and to all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Abimelek son of NeduBaal went on to Shekeem, to the brothers of his mother, and said to them and to the whole family of the house of the father of his mother
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spoke with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech son of Jerobaal went to Sychem to his mother's brethren; and he spoke to them and to all the kindred of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Abimelech's Conspiracy
1Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother, 2“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 11:3
So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

2 Samuel 15:10-12
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’” / Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter. / While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

1 Kings 12:1-19
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. / When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since. / So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel came to Rehoboam and said, ...

2 Kings 9:14-20
Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Aram, / but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the Arameans in the battle against Hazael their king.) So Jehu said, “If you commanders wish to make me king, then do not let anyone escape from the city to go and tell it in Jezreel.” / Then Jehu got into his chariot and went to Jezreel, because Joram was laid up there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had gone down to see him. ...

2 Kings 11:14
And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”

2 Chronicles 10:1-19
Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. / When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about this, he returned from Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. / So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said, ...

2 Chronicles 22:10-12
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. / But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him. / And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

Genesis 34:25-31
Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. / They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away. / Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. ...

Genesis 49:5-7
Simeon and Levi are brothers; their swords are weapons of violence. / May I never enter their council; may I never join their assembly. For they kill men in their anger, and hamstring oxen on a whim. / Cursed be their anger, for it is strong, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will disperse them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

Joshua 24:32
And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

1 Samuel 8:4-7
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. / “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” / But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ...

1 Samuel 10:24
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

1 Samuel 16:1-13
Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.” / “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ / Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.” ...

1 Samuel 18:5-9
So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well. / As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. / And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” ...

1 Samuel 22:7-8
Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? / Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”


Treasury of Scripture

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's brothers, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Abimelech

Judges 8:31
And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Shechem

Genesis 33:18
And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

Genesis 34:2
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

1 Kings 12:1
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

communed

2 Samuel 15:6
And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

1 Kings 12:3,20
That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, …

Psalm 83:2-4
For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…

Jump to Previous
Abimelech Abim'elech Clan Communed House Household Jerubbaal Jerub-Baal Jerubba'al Kinsmen Mother's Relatives Shechem Speaketh Whole
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Abimelech Abim'elech Clan Communed House Household Jerubbaal Jerub-Baal Jerubba'al Kinsmen Mother's Relatives Shechem Speaketh Whole
Judges 9
1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7. Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22. Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30. Zebul reveals it
34. Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46. He burns the hold of the god Berith
50. At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56. Jotham's curse is fulfilled.














Now Abimelech
The name "Abimelech" means "my father is king" in Hebrew, which is significant given the context of his actions. Abimelech is the son of Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, and his name foreshadows his ambition to rule. This introduction sets the stage for a narrative of power, ambition, and the consequences of seeking authority outside of God's will. Historically, names in the Bible often carry prophetic or thematic significance, and Abimelech's name is no exception, hinting at his desire to establish a monarchy.

son of Jerubbaal
Jerubbaal is another name for Gideon, a judge of Israel who was known for his faithfulness to God and his role in delivering Israel from the Midianites. The name "Jerubbaal" means "let Baal contend," reflecting Gideon's challenge to the false god Baal. This phrase reminds readers of Gideon's legacy and the spiritual heritage Abimelech is departing from. It highlights the contrast between Gideon's faith-driven leadership and Abimelech's self-serving ambition.

went to his mother's brothers
Abimelech's approach to his maternal relatives indicates a strategic move to garner support for his political ambitions. In ancient Near Eastern culture, family ties were crucial for establishing alliances and securing power. By appealing to his mother's brothers, Abimelech is leveraging familial loyalty to build a base of support. This action underscores the importance of kinship and the influence of family dynamics in biblical narratives.

at Shechem
Shechem holds significant historical and spiritual importance in the Bible. It is a city with a rich heritage, being the place where God first promised the land to Abraham (Genesis 12:6-7) and where Joshua renewed the covenant with Israel (Joshua 24:1-25). Abimelech's choice of Shechem as the location to seek support is strategic, as it is a central and influential city. This setting adds a layer of irony, as a place of covenant and promise becomes the backdrop for Abimelech's treacherous rise to power.

and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family
Abimelech's address to his maternal clan indicates his intent to rally a collective force behind his cause. The phrase suggests a formal and possibly persuasive speech aimed at convincing his relatives to support his bid for leadership. This reflects the communal nature of decision-making in ancient Israel, where family and clan played pivotal roles in political and social matters. It also foreshadows the division and conflict that will arise from Abimelech's actions, as he seeks to manipulate familial bonds for personal gain.

(1) And Abimelech.--This narrative of the rise and fall of Abimelech, "the bramble king," is singularly vivid in many of its details, while at the same time material facts are so briefly touched upon that parts of the story must remain obscure. The general bearing of this graphic episode is to illustrate the slow, but certain, working of Divine retribution. The two main faults of the last phase of Gideon's career had been his polygamy and his dangerous tampering with unauthorised, if not idolatrous, worship. The retribution for both errors falls on his house. The agents of their overthrow are the kinsmen of his base-born son by a Canaanite mother. Abimelech seems to have taken his first steps very soon after Gideon's death. Doubtless he had long been secretly maturing his plans. The narrative bears on its surface inimitable marks of truthfulness. We can trace in the character of Abimelech a reflection of his father's courage and promptitude, overshadowed by elements which he must have drawn from his maternal origin.

Unto his mother's brethren.--His Canaanite kith and kin, who doubtless had great influence over the still powerful aboriginal element of the Shechemite population.

Verse 1. - The son of Jerubbaal. Throughout this chapter Gideon is spoken of by the name of Jerubbaal. There must be some cause for this. The simplest and most probable cause is that this whole history of Abimelech is taken from some other source than the preceding chapters. And a considerable difference in the style of the narrative, which is feebler and more obscure, seems to bear out this inference. Went to Shechem. This revolt from the house of Gideon in favour of Abimelech seems to partake of the nature of an Ephraimite rising against the supremacy of Manasseh. It was doubtless galling to the pride of the great tribe of Ephraim (Judges 8:1, 2; Judges 12:1-6) that Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites should be the seat of government, and Gideon's ephod the centre of religion for the tribes of Israel. And so they seem to have taken advantage of Gideon's death, and of Abimelech's connection with Shechem, to make a league with the Hivite inhabitants of Shechem (see vers. 27, 28) to set up Abimelech as king, and to restore the worship of Baal, under the title of Baal-berith (Judges 8:33; Judges 9:4, 27, 46), at Shechem for all Israel to resort to.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now Abimelech
אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Jerubbaal
יְרֻבַּ֙עַל֙ (yə·rub·ba·‘al)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3378: Jerubbaal -- 'let Baal contend', a name of Gideon

went
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his mother’s
אִמּ֑וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

brothers
אֲחֵ֖י (’ă·ḥê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 251: A brother, )

at Shechem
שְׁכֶ֔מָה (šə·ḵe·māh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7927: Shechem -- 'ridge', a district in Northern Palestine, also a son of Hamor

and said
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (’ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

them
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the clan
מִשְׁפַּ֛חַת (miš·pa·ḥaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4940: A family, circle of relatives, a class, a species, sort, a tribe, people

of his mother,
אִמּ֖וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )


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OT History: Judges 9:1 Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 8:35
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