What is the meaning of Judges 9:6? Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo “Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo” (Judges 9:6) points to the city’s civil and military elite. • Shechem, once a place of covenant renewal (Joshua 24:1), now supplies funds from Baal-berith’s shrine to sponsor Abimelech’s rise (Judges 9:3–4). • Beth-millo (“house of the rampart”) likely refers to the fortified upper district, much as “the Millo” later describes Jerusalem’s stronghold (2 Samuel 5:9). • Their unified action fulfills Gideon’s warning that Israel would forget the LORD and His deliverance (Judges 8:34–35). gathered beside the oak The oak near Shechem had witnessed earlier acts of devotion: • Abraham first worshiped there when entering Canaan (Genesis 12:6–7). • Jacob buried household idols beneath it (Genesis 35:4), symbolizing repentance. • Joshua set up a “large stone under the oak” as a covenant witness (Joshua 24:26). Standing under the same tree, the leaders now turn a sacred site into a stage for rebellion against the LORD’s kingship (cf. Deuteronomy 12:3–5). at the pillar in Shechem This “pillar” recalls Joshua’s memorial stone, a public reminder of Israel’s promise to obey the LORD. By choosing this very spot, the assembly outwardly claims legitimacy while inwardly breaking covenant, highlighting the tragedy Hosea later voices: “They set up kings, but not by Me” (Hosea 8:4). and proceeded to make Abimelech their king • Gideon had refused a hereditary throne, declaring, “The LORD shall rule over you” (Judges 8:23); Abimelech, his son by a concubine, seizes what his father rejected. • His coronation is local, not national—an ambitious power grab rather than God-ordained leadership (contrast 1 Samuel 10:1). • The price: seventy brothers murdered (Judges 9:5), a foreshadowing of the blood that will stain Shechem when Abimelech and the city destroy one another (Judges 9:22–57). • Jotham’s parable of the trees (Judges 9:7–20) immediately exposes the folly: when noble trees refuse to reign, the bramble gladly accepts, bringing fire on all. summary Judges 9:6 records a calculated, covenant-breaking coronation. Shechem’s leaders, meeting at the very oak and pillar that once celebrated loyalty to the LORD, choose instead to enthrone a murderous usurper. Their action illustrates what happens when people seek security in human power rather than God’s rule: sacred places are profaned, promises forgotten, and the seeds of judgment sown. |
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