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

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. He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself. 6Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king. 7When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: “Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to 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

• He wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• in Ophrahעׇפְרָה‛ophrâh · OphrahH6084
• and onעַל‛al · uponH5921
• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• murderedהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• his seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• his seventyאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• brothersאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• But Jothamיוֹתָםyôthâm · JothamH3147
• the youngestקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · small: youngH6996
• survivedיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• he hid himselfחָבָאchâbâ' · to hideH2244

Cross-references for Judges 9:5

• Judges 6:24So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
• 2 Kings 10:17When Jehu came to Samaria, he struck down everyone belonging to Ahab who remained there, until he had destroyed them, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to Elijah.
• 2 Kings 11:1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.
• 2 Chronicles 21:4When Jehoram had established himself over his father’s kingdom, he strengthened himself by putting to the sword all his brothers along with some of the princes of Israel.
• Matthew 2:16When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time 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