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

1Gideon's son Abimelech went to Shechem to speak to his mother's brothers. He said to them and to her family's clan, ‘Say this to the leaders of Shechem: “You should not agree to let all of Gideon's 70 sons rule over you. It would be better for you to have only one man rule over you. Remember that I belong to your own family.” ’ 3Abimelech's mother's family told the men of Shechem what Abimelech had said. They agreed that Abimelech would be a good ruler for them. They said, ‘He is our brother.’ 4So they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of their god, Baal-Berith. Abimelech used this money to pay some wicked men to help 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• I pray you, in the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• of all the menבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
• of Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• for you, either that all the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• threescore and tenשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• personsאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• reignמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
• over you, or that oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• over you? rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• your boneעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
• and your fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320

Cross-references for Judges 9:2

• Judges 8:30He had many wives. They gave birth to 70 sons for him.
• Genesis 29:14Then Laban said, ‘Yes, you really are my own relative.’ So Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
• 2 Samuel 19:13Also, say to Amasa, “We belong to the same family. I promise you that I will now make you the leader of my army, instead of Joab. I ask God to punish me if I do not do that for you.” ’
• 1 Chronicles 11:1Then all the Israelites came to David at Hebron. They said to him, ‘We all belong to the same family as you do.
• Ephesians 5:30We are like the parts of Christ's body.
• Hebrews 2:14So, those people who become God's children are human. They have human bodies. Because of that, Jesus himself became human like us. In that way, when he died he was able to destroy the Devil. It is the Devil who has power over death.

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