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, Now AbimelechThe 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. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbimelechThe son of Jerubbaal (Gideon), Abimelech is a central figure in this chapter. His name means "my father is king," which is significant given his ambition to rule. 2. Jerubbaal (Gideon)Abimelech's father, a judge of Israel who led the Israelites to victory over the Midianites. His legacy and actions set the stage for Abimelech's account. 3. ShechemA significant city in the hill country of Ephraim, Shechem is a place of historical and covenantal importance in Israel's history. It is where Abimelech seeks support for his claim to leadership. 4. Abimelech’s Mother’s BrothersThese relatives of Abimelech play a crucial role in his rise to power, as he seeks their support to establish his rule. 5. The Clan of Abimelech’s MotherThis group represents the familial and tribal connections that Abimelech leverages to gain influence and authority. Teaching Points Ambition and Its ConsequencesAbimelech's account is a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition. His desire for power leads to destructive outcomes, reminding us to examine our motives and ambitions in light of God's will. The Influence of Family and CommunityAbimelech's approach to his mother's family highlights the impact of familial and community relationships. It challenges us to consider how our relationships influence our decisions and actions. The Importance of Godly LeadershipAbimelech's self-appointed leadership contrasts with the God-appointed judges. This serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God's guidance in leadership roles. The Role of Covenant and PlaceShechem's historical significance as a place of covenant reminds us of the importance of honoring God's covenants and the places where He has worked in our lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Abimelech's approach to leadership differ from that of his father, Gideon, and what can we learn from this contrast? 2. In what ways do our family and community relationships influence our decisions, and how can we ensure these influences align with God's will? 3. Reflect on a time when ambition led to negative consequences in your life. How can Abimelech's account guide you in future decisions? 4. Considering the historical significance of Shechem, how can we honor the places where God has worked in our lives today? 5. How does the account of Abimelech challenge us to seek Godly leadership in our communities and personal lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 8:31Provides context about Abimelech's birth and his relationship to Gideon, highlighting the familial dynamics at play. Genesis 34Shechem is also the site of the incident involving Dinah, which underscores the city's complex history and its role in Israel's account. 1 Samuel 8The Israelites' desire for a king, which parallels Abimelech's ambition and foreshadows the eventual establishment of monarchy in Israel. | Ambitious Usurpation | A.F. Muir | Judges 9:1-6 | | Abimelech, the Adventurer | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Ambition Destroys the Finer Feelings of Men | H. E. Channing. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Bramble Rule; Or, the People and Their Leaders | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Forms of Usefulness in Life | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Parable | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | King Bramble and His Subjects | A. F. Vedder. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Misleading Self-Judgments | A. Rowland, B. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Pulpit Brambles | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Self-Fulfilment | E. G. Murphy. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Bramble | H. Whittaker. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Election of the Usurper to be King | J. P. Millar. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Faithful Olive-Tree | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of Jotham | A London Minister | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | J. Bayley, Ph. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Refusing of Leadership | W. Morison, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 |
People Abimelech, Ebed, Gaal, Hamor, Jerubbaal, Jotham, Ophrah, Zalmon, ZebulPlaces Arumah, Beer, Beth-millo, Diviners' Oak, Lebanon, Midian, Mount Gerizim, Mount Zalmon, Ophrah, Shechem, Thebez, Tower of ShechemTopics Abimelech, Abim'elech, Brethren, Brothers, Clan, Communed, Family, Household, Jerubbaal, Jerub-baal, Jerubba'al, Kinsmen, Mother's, Relatives, Saying, Shechem, Spake, Speaketh, SpokeDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 9:1-6 5040 murder
5661 brothers
5890 insecurity Judges 9:1-21 5356 irony Library Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. Scripture relates that God sometimes complied with certain prayers which had been dictated by minds not duly calmed or regulated. It is true, that the cause for which Jotham imprecated on the inhabitants of Shechem the disaster which afterwards befell them was well founded; but still he was inflamed with anger and revenge (Judges 9:20); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervour …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of FaithTrials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Hence is Also that which Thou Hast Mentioned that they Speak Of...
28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples; and upon their drawing near to the village whither they were going, He made as though He would have gone farther: where the Evangelist, saying, "But He Himself feigned that He would go further," [2435] hath put that very word in which liars too greatly delight, that they may with impunity lie: as if every thing that is feigned is a lie, whereas in a truthful …
St. Augustine—Against Lying The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God, …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 9:1 NIVJudges 9:1 NLTJudges 9:1 ESVJudges 9:1 NASBJudges 9:1 KJV
Judges 9:1 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
