Judges 9:2

Judges 9:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
• New International Version (NIV)“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.”

Context of Judges 9:2

1Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother, “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.” 3And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

Judges 9:2 word by word

דַּבְּרוּ־נָ֞א בְּאָזְנֵ֨י כָל־בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶם֮ מַה־טּ֣וֹב לָכֶם֒ הַמְשֹׁ֨ל בָּכֶ֜ם שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִ֗ישׁ כֹּ֚ל בְּנֵ֣י יְרֻבַּ֔עַל אִם־מְשֹׁ֥ל בָּכֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וּזְכַרְתֶּ֕ם כִּֽי־עַצְמֵכֶם וּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם אָנִֽי׃Read the interlinear

• Pleaseנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• askדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• askאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the leadersבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
• of Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• of Shechemמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• Is it betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• that seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• ruleמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
• orאִם'im · ifH518
• just oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• Rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
• Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
• am your own fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• and bloodעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106

Cross-references for Judges 9:2

• Judges 8:30Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
• Genesis 29:14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
• 2 Samuel 19:13And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
• 1 Chronicles 11:1Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
• Ephesians 5:30For we are members of His body.
• Hebrews 2:14Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

Commentaries on Judges 9:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Whether is better for you, either that all the sons - This was a powerful argument: Whether will you have seventy tyrants or only one? For, as he had no right to the government, and God alone was king at that time in Israel; so he must support his usurped rule by whatever means were most likely to effect it: a usurped government is generally supported by oppression and the sword.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The men of Shechem - literally, “the masters.” Compare Joshua 24:11; 1 Samuel 23:11-12.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Abimelech, the son of a concubine (Judges 8:31; see study note on Judges 19:1), claimed he could create the royal dynasty that his father had rejected. The absence of any record of a conquest of Shechem, despite Israel’s covenant activities in the city (Joshua 24), suggests that Shechem’s people became part of Israel. Abimelech’s uncles and his mother might have been of non-Israelite origin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, ... or that one reign over you--a false insinuation, artfully contrived to stir up jealousy and alarm. Gideon had rejected, with abhorrence, the proposal to make himself or any of his family king, and there is no evidence that any of his other sons coveted the title.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 9:2

• Ambition
• Conspiracy
• Judge
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Shechem
• Abimelech
• Deserving
• Flesh
• Incline
• Lord
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth
• Parable

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