How does Judges 9:5 connect to the commandment "You shall not murder"? The Setting in Judges 9:5 • “He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-baal, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-baal, survived, because he hid himself.” ( Judges 9:5 ) • Abimelech, driven by ambition, slaughters his own family to remove every rival. • The action is deliberate, premeditated, and ruthless—precisely what the Sixth Commandment forbids. The Sixth Commandment Stated Clearly • “You shall not murder.” ( Exodus 20:13; cf. Deuteronomy 5:17 ) • God’s prohibition is absolute: no one may unjustly take a human life, because people bear God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Point-by-Point Connection • Direct violation—Abimelech’s act is murder in its darkest form: multiple victims, intentional, and for personal gain. • Family bond ignored—killing brothers breaks not only God’s law but the natural duty to protect one’s kin (cf. 1 Timothy 5:8). • Corporate guilt—Abimelech enlists “the leaders of Shechem” (Judges 9:2) as accomplices, spreading the sin beyond himself. • God’s moral order assaulted—the Sixth Commandment upholds life; Abimelech’s massacre defies that order and invites judgment (cf. Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed…”). Consequences Demonstrate God’s Justice • Divine retribution—“God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem” (Judges 9:23). • Measure-for-measure end—Abimelech dies violently when a woman drops a millstone on his head (Judges 9:53-54), echoing the violence he unleashed. • Moral lesson—God vindicates His commandment; murder sows seeds that inevitably bring a harvest of judgment (Proverbs 6:16-19). Takeaways for Today • God values every human life; the Sixth Commandment is not optional or situational. • Ambition and power pursued apart from God lead to destructive extremes. • Collective complicity matters; silence or support for wrongdoing shares guilt (Ephesians 5:11). • God’s justice, though sometimes delayed, is certain—encouraging believers to uphold life and trust His righteous rule. |
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