The Massacre of Gideon's Sons is a tragic event recorded in the Book of Judges, specifically in Judges 9. This event follows the death of Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, a prominent judge and military leader in Israel who delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. Gideon's legacy, however, is marred by the violent actions of his son Abimelech, who sought to establish himself as ruler over Israel.

Background

Gideon, after his victory over the Midianites, had many sons, seventy in total, from his many wives (Judges 8:30). He also had a concubine in Shechem, who bore him a son named Abimelech (Judges 8:31). Despite Gideon's refusal to establish a dynastic rule, stating, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you" (Judges 8:23), Abimelech harbored ambitions for power.

Abimelech's Conspiracy

After Gideon's death, Abimelech went to Shechem, his mother's hometown, and conspired with his maternal relatives to gain support for his claim to leadership. He appealed to the leaders of Shechem, arguing that it would be better for them to be ruled by one man, himself, rather than by the seventy sons of Gideon (Judges 9:1-2). The leaders of Shechem, swayed by Abimelech's kinship and his promise of centralized power, supported him and provided him with seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith (Judges 9:3-4).

The Massacre

With the funds and support from Shechem, Abimelech hired reckless and worthless men to follow him. He then went to his father's house in Ophrah and murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Gideon, on a single stone (Judges 9:5). This brutal act was a calculated move to eliminate any potential rivals to his claim to leadership. However, Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, managed to escape the massacre by hiding.

Jotham's Parable

After the massacre, Abimelech was made king by the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo (Judges 9:6). Jotham, upon hearing this, went to Mount Gerizim and delivered a parable to the people of Shechem, known as Jotham's Parable. In this parable, he likened Abimelech to a bramble, a worthless plant, warning the people of the consequences of their choice (Judges 9:7-15). Jotham concluded with a curse, calling for fire to come from Abimelech to consume the leaders of Shechem and vice versa if they had acted in bad faith (Judges 9:16-20).

Aftermath

Jotham's curse eventually came to pass. Abimelech's rule was marked by treachery and violence, leading to conflict with the very people who had supported him. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, resulting in mutual destruction (Judges 9:23-24). Abimelech's reign ended when a woman dropped a millstone on his head from a tower, leading to his death (Judges 9:53-54).

The massacre of Gideon's sons serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of ambition, betrayal, and the rejection of God's intended order for leadership among His people.