Topical Bible: Homicide: Felonious: Abimelech

◄ Homicide: Felonious: Abimelech ►

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Abimelech, a son of Gideon (also known as Jerubbaal), is a significant figure in the Book of Judges, particularly noted for his felonious act of homicide. His account is primarily found in Judges 9, where his ambition and ruthless actions are detailed.

After the death of Gideon, Abimelech sought to establish himself as a ruler over Shechem and its surrounding areas. Unlike his father, who refused kingship, Abimelech desired power and was willing to obtain it through nefarious means. He approached the leaders of Shechem, appealing to their shared kinship, as his mother was a Shechemite. He proposed that it would be better for them to be ruled by one man rather than the seventy sons of Gideon.

To secure his position, Abimelech committed a grievous act of fratricide. With the support of the Shechemites, who provided him with seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, Abimelech hired reckless and worthless men to assist him. Together, they went to Ophrah, the hometown of Gideon, and murdered his seventy brothers on a single stone. This act of mass murder was a blatant violation of the sanctity of life, a principle deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, where human life is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

However, one brother, Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, escaped the massacre. Jotham later delivered a parable from Mount Gerizim, condemning the actions of Abimelech and the Shechemites, predicting that fire would come from Abimelech to consume the leaders of Shechem and vice versa (Judges 9:7-20).

Abimelech's reign was short-lived and marked by further violence and treachery. After three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, leading to mutual distrust and conflict. This divine intervention was a form of retributive justice for the bloodshed Abimelech had caused. The leaders of Shechem turned against him, and a series of battles ensued.

In a final confrontation at the city of Thebez, Abimelech met his demise. As he attempted to burn down a tower where the city's inhabitants had taken refuge, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head, crushing his skull. In his final moments, Abimelech commanded his armor-bearer to kill him with a sword to avoid the disgrace of being slain by a woman (Judges 9:53-54).

Abimelech's account serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and the severe consequences of violating God's commandments regarding the sanctity of life. His felonious act of homicide not only led to his downfall but also brought turmoil and destruction to those who supported his rise to power.

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Judges 9:5,18,56
And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being three score and ten persons, on one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
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