New International Version After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek. New Living Translation During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech. English Standard Version And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. Berean Standard Bible And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. Berean Literal Bible And they went out into the fields, and gathered from their vineyards, and trod and made merry. And they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. King James Bible And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. New King James Version So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. New American Standard Bible So they went out to the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trampled them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. NASB 1995 They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. NASB 1977 And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. Legacy Standard Bible And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them and celebrated a festival; and they came into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. Amplified Bible They went out into the field, gathered the grapes of their vineyard and trod them, and held a festival; and they entered the house of their god, and they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. Berean Annotated Bible And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech (my father is king). Christian Standard Bible So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trampled the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. Holman Christian Standard Bible So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trampled the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. American Standard Version And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. Contemporary English Version The time came for the grape harvest, and the people of Shechem went into their vineyards and picked the grapes. They gathered the grapes and made wine. Then they went into the temple of their god and threw a big party. There was a lot of eating and drinking, and before long they were cursing Abimelech. English Revised Version And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. GOD'S WORD® Translation They went into the country and harvested grapes in the vineyards to make wine. Then they made an offering of praise in the temple of their gods. They ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. Good News Translation They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and made fun of Abimelech. International Standard Version They went out into the fields, harvested their vineyards, made some wine, and threw a party. Then they went into the temple of their god, ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. NET Bible They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, squeezed out the juice, and celebrated. They came to the temple of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. New Heart English Bible They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. Webster's Bible Translation And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. World English Bible They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, celebrated, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand go out into the field, and gather their vineyards, and tread, and make praises, and go into the house of their god, and eat and drink, and revile Abimelech. Berean Literal Bible And they went out into the fields, and gathered from their vineyards, and trod and made merry. And they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. Young's Literal Translation and go out into the field, and gather their vineyards, and tread, and make praises, and go into the house of their god, and eat and drink, and revile Abimelech. Smith's Literal Translation And they will go forth to the field, and they will gather their vineyards, and they will tread down, and they will make rejoicings, and go in to the house of their God, and they will eat and drink, and curse Abimelech. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWent out into the fields, wasting the vineyards, and treading down the grapes: and singing and dancing they went into the temple of their god, and in their banquets and cups they cursed Abimelech. Catholic Public Domain Version departed into the fields, laying waste to the vineyards, and trampling the grapes. And while singing and dancing, they entered into the shrine of their god. And while feasting and drinking, they cursed Abimelech. New American Bible They went out into the fields, harvested the grapes from their vineyards, trod them out, and held a festival. Then they went to the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. New Revised Standard Version They went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards, trod them, and celebrated. Then they went into the temple of their god, ate and drank, and ridiculed Abimelech. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards and trod the grapes, and they made a banquet and went into the house of their gods and did eat and drink, and reviled Abimeleck. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they went out to the field and they picked their vines and they trod grapes and made a banquet and they entered the house of their gods, and they ate and they drank and they reviled Abimelek OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. Brenton Septuagint Translation And they went out into the field, and gathered their grapes, and trod them, and made merry; and they brought the grapes into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Gaal Conspires with the Shechemites…26Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech. 28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?… Cross References And after they had gone out into the fields, Ruth 2:3 So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Deuteronomy 24:19 If you are harvesting in your field and forget a sheaf there, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. gathered grapes from their vineyards, Deuteronomy 24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not go over the vines again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Leviticus 19:10 You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God. and trodden them, Isaiah 63:3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. Joel 3:13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great. they held a festival 1 Samuel 25:36 When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light. Esther 1:5 At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest. and went into the house of their god; 2 Kings 10:21-23 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; there was not a man who failed to show. They entered the temple of Baal, and it was filled from end to end. / And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out garments for them. / Next, Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rechab entered the temple of Baal, and Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around to see that there are no servants of the LORD here among you—only servants of Baal.” 1 Samuel 5:2-4 carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue. / When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. / But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained. and as they ate and drank, Exodus 32:6 So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Daniel 5:1-4 Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. / Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. / Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. … they cursed Abimelech. 2 Samuel 16:5-13 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he approached, he kept yelling out curses. / He threw stones at David and at all the servants of the king, though the troops and all the mighty men were on David’s right and left. / And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed! … Psalm 109:17-18 The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him. / The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil. Isaiah 5:1-7 I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. / He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted the finest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle and dug out a winepress as well. He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour! / “And now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I exhort you to judge between Me and My vineyard. … Jeremiah 12:10 Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. Treasury of Scripture And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and stepped the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. merry. Isaiah 16:9,10 Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen… Isaiah 24:7-9 The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh… Jeremiah 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. the house Judges 9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. Judges 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. Exodus 32:6,19 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play… did eat Isaiah 22:12-14 And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: … Luke 12:19,20 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry… Luke 17:26-29 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man… cursed Leviticus 24:11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) 1 Samuel 17:43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Psalm 109:17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. Jump to Previous Abimelech Abim'elech Ate Crushed Cursed Cursing Drank Drink Drinking Eat Eating Held Holy House Merry Reviled Temple Tread Trod Trodden Trode Vines VineyardsJump to Next Abimelech Abim'elech Ate Crushed Cursed Cursing Drank Drink Drinking Eat Eating Held Holy House Merry Reviled Temple Tread Trod Trodden Trode Vines VineyardsJudges 9 1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king7. 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. And after they had gone out into the fields, Harvest time brought the people of Shechem together in a season of abundance and celebration, even as the city’s political tensions continued to grow. Rut 2:3 So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned… gathered grapes from their vineyards, The vineyards reflected the fertility of the land and provided wine for the harvest celebration. Deu 24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard,… and trodden them, After pressing the grapes, the people prepared wine and marked the completion of their labor with a public feast. Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one… they held a festival Their celebration was connected to pagan worship rather than gratitude to the Lord, revealing the idolatry that had taken root in Shechem. 1Sa 25:36 When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was… and went into the house of their god; They entered the temple of Baal-berith, the god associated with their covenant and city. Their worship of this false god stood behind the moral and political disorder that followed. 2Ki 10:21-23 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants… and as they ate and drank, The feast encouraged bold speech and public resentment against Abimelech, whose rule had been established through bloodshed and intimidation. Exo 32:6 So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings… they cursed Abimelech. The people who had once supported Abimelech now turned against him. Their hostility began the chain of events through which God brought judgment on Abimelech and Shechem for the murder of Gideon’s sons. 2Sa 16:5-13 As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the house… Persons / Places / Events 1. AbimelechThe son of Gideon (also known as Jerubbaal), who declared himself king over Shechem after killing his seventy brothers. 2. Shechemites The people of Shechem who initially supported Abimelech but later turned against him. 3. Vineyards The fields where the Shechemites gathered grapes, symbolizing abundance and blessing but also a place of rebellion. 4. Festival A celebration held by the Shechemites, which turned into a time of cursing Abimelech. 5. House of their god A pagan temple where the Shechemites worshipped and cursed Abimelech, indicating their idolatry and spiritual rebellion. Teaching Points The Dangers of IdolatryThe Shechemites' actions in the house of their god highlight the spiritual danger of idolatry, which leads to moral and social decay. Consequences of Betrayal Their cursing of Abimelech, whom they initially supported, shows the instability and consequences of betrayal and disloyalty. The Role of Festivals Celebrations can become occasions for sin if not centered on God. Believers should ensure their gatherings honor God. The Power of Words The Shechemites' curses remind us of the power of words to bless or curse, and the importance of speaking life and truth. God's Sovereignty Despite human rebellion, God's purposes prevail. Abimelech's account is a reminder of God's ultimate control over human affairs. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Judges 9:27?2. How does Judges 9:27 illustrate the consequences of turning from God's ways? 3. What can we learn about idolatry from the actions in Judges 9:27? 4. How does Judges 9:27 connect to the first commandment in Exodus 20:3? 5. In what ways can we avoid similar temptations as seen in Judges 9:27? 6. How can we ensure our celebrations honor God, unlike those in Judges 9:27? 7. What historical evidence supports the events described in Judges 9:27? 8. How does Judges 9:27 reflect the cultural practices of ancient Israel? 9. What theological message is conveyed through the actions in Judges 9:27? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Judges 9? (27) And made merry.--The vintage was the most joyous festival of the year (Isaiah 16:9-10; Jeremiah 25:30). The word rendered "merry" is hill-lim, and occurs only here and in Leviticus 19:24, where it is rendered "praise." Some render it "offered thank-offerings." The Chaldee renders it "dances," and the Vulg. "choirs of singers." The word evidently involves the notion of triumphant songs (LXX., elloulim and chorous). Of their god.--Baal-berith. Did eat and drink.--In some public feast, such as often took place in idol temples (Judges 16:23; 2Kings 19:37; 1Corinthians 8:10). It is evident that this was a sort of heathen analogue of the Feast of Ingathering. The apostasy would be facilitated by a transference of customs of worship from Elohim to Baal. . . . Verse 27. - And they went out, etc. The next step forward in the rebellion was taken at the time of the vintage, probably when they were inflamed with wine; for, after they had gathered in and trodden the grapes, they kept high festival in the temple of Baal-berith, on occasion of offering to their god the solemn thank offering for the vintage. And then, speaking freely under the influence of wine, they cursed Abimelech. The whole talk of the company was of his misdeeds, and seditious and rebellious words were freely uttered on all sides. Made merry. Rather, offered their thank offerings. The same word is used in Leviticus 19:24: "In the fourth year all the fruit thereof (i.e. of the vineyard) shall be holy to praise the Lord withal" - literally, praise offerings to the Lord. These offerings were made by the Shechemites to Baal instead of to God. Judges 9:27 paints a literal harvest scene that exposes a deeper spiritual harvest. The people gather God-given grapes, but instead of thankful worship they plunge into idolatrous revelry, emboldened to curse the ruler they previously supported. Each movement—from fields to winepress, from feast to false temple—reveals hearts estranged from the LORD. The verse warns that prosperity without purity invites judgment, and that cursing others while abandoning God ultimately brings a curse upon oneself.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew And after they had gone outוַיֵּצְא֨וּ (way·yê·ṣə·’ū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim into the fields, הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה (haś·śā·ḏeh) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7704: Field, land gathered [grapes] וַֽיִּבְצְר֤וּ (way·yiḇ·ṣə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1219: To cut off, make inaccessible, enclose from their vineyards, כַּרְמֵיהֶם֙ (kar·mê·hem) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard and trodden [them], וַֽיִּדְרְכ֔וּ (way·yiḏ·rə·ḵū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow they held וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֖וּ (way·ya·‘ă·śū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 6213: To do, make a festival הִלּוּלִ֑ים (hil·lū·lîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1974: A celebration of thanksgiving for, harvest and went וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go into the house בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1004: A house of their god; אֱֽלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם (’ĕlō·hê·hem) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative and as they ate וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ (way·yō·ḵə·lū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 398: To eat and drank, וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ (way·yiš·tū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 8354: To imbibe they cursed וַֽיְקַלְל֖וּ (way·qal·lū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling Abimelech. אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ׃ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name Additonal Resources Judges 9:27 Blue Letter BibleJudges 9:27 Bible Gateway Judges 9:27 Bible.com Judges 9:27 NIV |
    |