Judges 9:28

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

26Then Gaal (son of Ebed) and his brothers moved into Shechem. Citizens of Shechem trusted him. 27They went into the country and harvested grapes in the vineyards to make wine. Then they made an offering of praise in the temple of their gods. They ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech. Gaal (son of Ebed) said, “Who’s Abimelech, and who are we, the people of Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he Jerubbaal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech? 29How I wish I controlled these people! Then I’d get rid of Abimelech. I would tell him, ‘Get yourself a big army and come out.’ ” 30Zebul, Shechem’s ruler, heard what Gaal (son of Ebed) had said, and he became angry.

Judges 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Gaalגַּ֫עַלga‛al · GaalH1603
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Ebedעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · EbedH5651
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• that we should serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• and Zebulזְבֻלzebûl · ZebulH2083
• his officerפָּקִידpâqîyd · overseerH6496
• the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• of Hamorחֲמוֹרchămôr · HamorH2544
• the fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for Judges 9:28

• 1 Samuel 25:10“Who is David?” Nabal answered David’s servants. “Who is Jesse’s son? So many servants nowadays are leaving their masters.
• 2 Samuel 20:1A good-for-nothing man by the name of Sheba, Bichri’s son, from the tribe of Benjamin happened to be at Gilgal. He blew a ram’s horn ⌞to announce⌟, “We have no share in David’s kingdom. We won’t receive an inheritance from Jesse’s son. Everyone to his own tent, Israel!”
• 1 Kings 12:16When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “What share do we have in David’s kingdom? We won’t receive an inheritance from Jesse’s son. To your own tents, Israel! Now look after your own house, David!” So Israel went home to their own tents.
• Genesis 34:2When Shechem, son of the local ruler Hamor the Hivite, saw her, he took her and raped 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

• Conspiracy
• Ebed
• Gaal
• Hamor
• Judge
• Shechem
• Zebul

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Hamor
• Shechem
• Deserving
• Gaal
• Incline
• 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