Christian Standard Bible
Judges 9:4
4So they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech used it to hire worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.
Judges 9:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal–berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
- New International Version (NIV)They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.
Context of Judges 9:4
2“Please speak in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you or that one man rule over you? ’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.” 3His mother’s relatives spoke all these words about him in the hearing of all the citizens of Shechem, and they were favorable to Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” So they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech used it to hire worthless and reckless men, and they followed him. 5He went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on top of a large stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid. 6Then all the citizens of Shechem and of Beth-millo gathered together and proceeded to make Abimelech king at the oak of the pillar in Shechem.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:4 word by word
וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף מִבֵּ֖יתּ בַ֣עַל בְּרִ֑ית וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר בָּהֶ֜ם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵיקִים֙ וּפֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אַחֲרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him threescore and tenשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- out of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Baal–berithבַּעַל בְּרִיתba‛al berîyth · Baal-berithH1170
- wherewith Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- hiredשָׂכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
- vainרֵיקrêyq rêq · worthlessH7386
- and lightפָּחַזpâchaz · be recklessH6348
- personsאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- which followedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- himאַחַר'achar · afterH310
Cross-references for Judges 9:4
- Judges 9:46When all the citizens of the Tower of Shechem heard, they entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.
- Judges 8:33When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
- Judges 11:3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some worthless men joined Jephthah and went on raids with him.
- 1 Samuel 22:2In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
- 2 Chronicles 13:7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.
- Job 30:8Foolish men, without even a name. They were forced to leave the land.
- Proverbs 12:11The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.
- Acts 17:5But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.
Commentaries on Judges 9:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Threescore and ten pieces of silver - Probably shekels; and this was the whole of his exchequer. As he was now usurping the government of God, he begins with a contribution from the idol temple. A work begun under the name and influence of the devil is not likely to end to the glory of God, or to the welfare of man. Hired vain and light persons - ופחזים ריקים אנשים anashim reykim uphochazim, worthless and dissolute men; persons who were living on the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4True leaders earn loyalty and appeal to the noble in society, not to reckless troublemakers like Abimelech's hired followers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the house of Baal-berith--either the temple, or the place where this idol was worshipped; Baal-berith, "god of the covenant," by invocation of whom the league of cities was formed. Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him--idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:4
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
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries