Abimelech son of Gideon (Judges 8:29–32; Judges 9:1–6; Judges 9:7–21; Judges 9:22–25; Judges 9:26–41; Judges 9:42–49; Judges 9:50–57; 2 Samuel 11:21)

Son of Jerubbaal and the Concubine in Shechem

The son whom Gideon's concubine in Shechem bare, who hired men with silver from the house of Baal-berith, slew his seventy brethren upon one stone, was made king by the men of Shechem, saw God send an evil spirit between himself and them, destroyed Shechem, and died at Thebez by a woman's millstone.

Judges says of Gideon, “his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, and he called his name Abimelech” (Judges 8:31). After Gideon's death Abimelech “the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren” (Judges 9:1) and asked them to say to the men of Shechem, “Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh” (Judges 9:2). They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, and he “went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself” (Judges 9:5). The men of Shechem “made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem” (Judges 9:6).

Jotham stood on mount Gerizim and told the men of Shechem the fable of the trees and the bramble, ending with a curse: “let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech” (Judges 9:20). “Abimelech was prince over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech” (Judges 9:22-23). Gaal the son of Ebed came to Shechem and asked, “Who is Abimelech” (Judges 9:28); Zebul the ruler of the city sent word to Abimelech, who chased Gaal, and Zebul drove Gaal out of Shechem; on the morrow Abimelech took the city, slew the people, “beat down the city, and sowed it with salt” (Judges 9:45), and set fire to the stronghold of the tower of Shechem, so that “about a thousand men and women” (Judges 9:49) died.

At Thebez, “a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull” (Judges 9:53); he called his armorbearer and said, “Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him” (Judges 9:54). The text gives its verdict: “Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren” (Judges 9:56). Joab's message to David after Uriah's death recalls the scene, naming him “Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth” (2 Samuel 11:21). The New Testament does not name him.

Weaknesses

• Hired vain and light fellows
• Slew his brethren upon one stone
• Beat down the city and sowed it with salt
• Set the stronghold on fire upon them

Themes

• Kingship seized
• Silver and violence
• Jotham's fable and curse
• An evil spirit between them
• God requited wickedness

Born to the concubine in Shechem (Judges 8:29–32)

Gideon, who has threescore and ten sons of his body by many wives, has a son by his concubine in Shechem, calls his name Abimelech, and dies in a good old age.

Silver from Baal-berith and seventy brothers slain (Judges 9:1–6)

Abimelech speaks to his mother's brethren and the men of Shechem, hires men with silver, slays his brethren upon one stone at Ophrah, and is made king at Shechem.

Silver from Baal-berith and seventy brothers slain

Abimelech went to his mother's kin at Shechem and said, “Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh” (Judges 9:2). “And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother” (Judges 9:3).

“And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him. And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself” (Judges 9:4-5).

“And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem” (Judges 9:6).

Jotham's fable and curse (Judges 9:7–21)

Jotham stands on mount Gerizim and tells of the trees that sought a king and of the bramble that accepted, then calls down fire on Abimelech and Shechem and flees to Beer.

Jotham's fable and curse

Jotham “went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you” (Judges 9:7). “The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us” (Judges 9:8). The olive-tree, the fig-tree, and the vine each asked whether it should leave its own fruit to “wave to and fro over the trees” (Judges 9:9).

“Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon” (Judges 9:14-15).

Jotham then spoke of what Shechem had done to Jerubbaal and his house, and said, “if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo” (Judges 9:19-20). “And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother” (Judges 9:21).

Three years; an evil spirit between them (Judges 9:22–25)

Abimelech is prince over Israel three years; God sends an evil spirit between him and the men of Shechem, that the blood of the seventy might be laid upon him and upon them, and they deal treacherously and set liers-in-wait on the mountains.

Gaal, Zebul, and the driving out from Shechem (Judges 9:26–41)

Gaal the son of Ebed comes to Shechem and the men put their trust in him; Zebul sends word to Abimelech craftily, and Abimelech chases Gaal, whom Zebul drives out of Shechem.

Shechem beaten down and the tower burned (Judges 9:42–49)

Abimelech takes the city, slays the people, and sows it with salt; the men of the tower of Shechem enter the stronghold, and he sets it on fire so that about a thousand men and women die.

Shechem beaten down and the tower burned

“And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt” (Judges 9:45). “And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard thereof, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith” (Judges 9:46).

“And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done” (Judges 9:48).

“And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women” (Judges 9:49).

The millstone at Thebez, and the verdict (Judges 9:50–57; 2 Samuel 11:21)

Abimelech takes Thebez, a woman casts an upper millstone on his head, and he has his armorbearer thrust him through; the men of Israel depart, and the text says God requited the wickedness of Abimelech and of Shechem; Joab's message to David later recalls the millstone.

The millstone at Thebez, and the verdict

Abimelech went to Thebez and took it (Judges 9:50), but “there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in” (Judges 9:51). He “drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire” (Judges 9:52). “And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died” (Judges 9:53-54). “And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place” (Judges 9:55).

“Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal” (Judges 9:56-57).

When Joab sends word to David of the battle in which Uriah died, he foresees the king asking, “who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez?” (2 Samuel 11:21). Scripture does not name his mother or record a burial.

Gideon (Judges 8:31; Judges 9:1; Judges 9:56)

His father, called Jerubbaal in this account, against whom, the text says, Abimelech did wickedness in slaying his seventy brethren.

The seventy sons of Jerubbaal (Judges 9:5; Judges 9:24; Judges 9:56)

His brethren, whom he slew upon one stone at Ophrah, and whose blood the text says was laid upon him.

Jotham son of Jerubbaal (Judges 9:5; Judges 9:7–21; Judges 9:57)

The youngest son of Jerubbaal, who hid himself, cursed Abimelech and Shechem from mount Gerizim, and fled to Beer.

The men of Shechem (Judges 9:6; Judges 9:23–24; Judges 9:45–49)

They made him king, strengthened his hands to slay his brethren, then dealt treacherously with him; he beat down their city.

Gaal the son of Ebed (Judges 9:26–29; Judges 9:39–41)

Came to Shechem, asked who Abimelech was that they should serve him, and was chased and driven out.

Zebul (Judges 9:28; Judges 9:30–31; Judges 9:41)

The ruler of the city and Abimelech's officer, who sent him word craftily and drove Gaal out of Shechem.

God (Judges 9:23–24; Judges 9:56–57)

Sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and requited the wickedness of both.

Major sections

• Judges 8:29–32
• Judges 9
• 2 Samuel 11:21

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