American Standard Version
Judges 9:28
28And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?
Judges 9:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
- New International Version (NIV)Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek?
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?
Context of Judges 9:28
26And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27And they went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trodthe grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him? 29And would that this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. 30And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:28 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ גַּ֣עַל בֶּן־עֶ֗בֶד מִֽי־אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ וּמִֽי־שְׁכֶם֙ כִּ֣י נַעַבְדֶ֔נּוּ הֲלֹ֥א בֶן־יְרֻבַּ֖עַל וּזְבֻ֣ל פְּקִיד֑וֹ עִבְד֗וּ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י חֲמוֹר֙ אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם וּמַדּ֖וּעַ נַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּ אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃Read the interlinear
- Gaalגַּ֫עַלga‛al · GaalH1603
- sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- Ebedעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · EbedH5651
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
- serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
- Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
- Zebulזְבֻלzebûl · ZebulH2083
- officerפָּקִידpâqîyd · overseerH6496
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- Hamorחֲמוֹרchămôr · HamorH2544
- fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- whyמַדּוּעַmaddûa‛ maddûa‛ · why?H4069
Cross-references for Judges 9:28
- 1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master.
- 2 Samuel 20:1And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
- 1 Kings 12:16And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
- Genesis 34:2And Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her; and he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
Commentaries on Judges 9:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Zebul his officer - פקידו pekido, his overseer; probably governor of Shechem in his absence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27-29Verses 27-29 Seditious and lawless acts Judges 9:25-26 now broke out into open rebellion. It was at an idolatrous feast in the house of Baal-berith, on occasion of the vintage, and when they were excited with wine, that the rebellion was matured. Those present began to “curse Abimelech,” to speak insultingly of him, and to revile him (compare Leviticus 20:9; 2 Samuel 19:21; Isaiah 8:21). Gaal, the son of Ebed, who was watching the opportunity, immediately…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-29Verses 22-29 Abimelech is seated in the throne his father refused. But how long does this glory last? Stay but three years, and see the bramble withered and burned. The prosperity of the wicked is short and fickle. The Shechemites are plagued by no other hand than Abimelech's. They raised him unjustly to the throne; they first feel the weight of his sceptre.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem: Gaal focused on Abimelech’s lineage through his father, Gideon, who was not from Shechem, rather than through his mother (Judges 8:31; 9:2). serve the men of Hamor: Gaal’s lineage apparently traced back to Hamor, the founder of Shechem (Genesis 33:18–34:31).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 28-4528-45. would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:28
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries