Judges 9:5

Judges 9:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
• New International Version (NIV)He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.

Context of Judges 9:5

3So his mother’s relatives spoke all these words concerning him so that all the leaders of Shechem could hear; and their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our relative.” 4And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and undisciplined men, and they followed (supported) him. Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and murdered his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, [in a public execution] on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left alive, because he had hidden himself. 6All the men of Shechem and all of Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak (terebinth) of the pillar (memorial stone) at Shechem. 7When they told Jotham, he went and stood at the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Hear me, O men of Shechem, so that God may hear you.

Judges 9:5 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֤א בֵית־אָבִיו֙ עָפְרָ֔תָה וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג אֶת־אֶחָ֧יו בְּנֵֽי־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל שִׁבְּעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ עַל־אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר יוֹתָ֧ם בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֛עַל הַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּ֥י נֶחְבָּֽא׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• at Ophrahעׇפְרָה‛ophrâh · OphrahH6084
• and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• threescore and tenשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• personsאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• upon oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• notwithstanding yet Jothamיוֹתָםyôthâm · JothamH3147
• the youngestקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · small: youngH6996
• was leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• for he hidחָבָאchâbâ' · to hideH2244

Cross-references for Judges 9:5

• Judges 6:24Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.
• 2 Kings 10:17When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed everyone who remained of Ahab’s family in Samaria, until he had destroyed all of them, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.
• 2 Kings 11:1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah [king of Judah] saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring.
• 2 Chronicles 21:4When Jehoram had ascended over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword [to eliminate any rivals], and some of the leaders of Israel as well.
• Matthew 2:16Then Herod, when he realized that he had been tricked by the magi, was extremely angry, and he sent [soldiers] and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that area who were two years old and under, according to the date which he had learned from the magi.

Commentaries on Judges 9:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Slew his brethren - His brothers by the father's side, Judges 8:30. This was a usual way of securing an ill-gotten throne; the person who had no right destroying all those that had right, that he might have no competitors. Yet Jotham - was left - That is, all the seventy were killed except Jotham, if there were not seventy besides Jotham. All the histories of all the nations of the earth are full of cruelties similar to those of Abimelech: cousins…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Such wholesale slaughters have always been common in Eastern monarchies, and are among the fruits of polygamy.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The murder of the seventy sons of Gideon on one stone was likely a ritual killing. the youngest son...survived: Compare with 2 Kings 11:1–3.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. went unto ... Ophrah, and slew his brethren i. e., upon one stone--This is the first mention of a barbarous atrocity which has, with appalling frequency, been perpetrated in the despotic countries of the East--that of one son of the deceased monarch usurping the throne and hastening to confirm himself in the possession by the massacre of all the natural or legitimate competitors. Abimelech slew his brethren on one stone, either by dashing them from one…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 9:5

• Ambition
• Conspiracy
• Fratricide
• Homicide
• Jotham
• Judge
• Ophrah
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Jotham
• Abimelech
• Deserving
• Incline
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth
• Ophrah
• Parable
• Abdon (1)

Commentaries on Judges 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary