Judges 9:1

Judges 9:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
• New International Version (NIV)Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,

Context of Judges 9:1

Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s relatives, and spoke to them and to the entire family of the household of his mother’s father, saying, 2“Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: for seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, to rule over you, or for one man to rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3So his mother’s relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our relative.”

Judges 9:1 word by word

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ בֶּן־יְרֻבַּ֙עַל֙ שְׁכֶ֔מָה אֶל־אֲחֵ֖י אִמּ֑וֹ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֶל־כָּל־מִשְׁפַּ֛חַת בֵּית־אֲבִ֥י אִמּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃Read the interlinear

• Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• to Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• to his mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
• relativesאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• and spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to them and to the entireכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
• of the householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Judges 9:1

• Judges 8:31And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
• Genesis 33:18Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.
• Genesis 34:2When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and raped her.
• 1 Kings 12:1Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
• 2 Samuel 15:6Absalom dealt this way with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
• 1 Kings 12:3Then they sent word and summoned him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
• Psalms 83:2For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
• Jeremiah 18:18Then they said, “Come and let’s devise plans against Jeremiah. Certainly the Law is not going to be lost by the priest, nor advice by the wise, nor the divine word by the prophet! Come, and let’s strike at him with our tongue, and let’s pay no attention to any of his words.”

Commentaries on Judges 9:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Abimelech - went to Shechem - We have already seen that Abimelech was the son of Gideon, by his concubine at Shechem. His going thither immediately after his father's death was to induce his townsmen to proclaim him governor in the place of his father. Shechem was the residence of his mother, and of all her relatives.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1We are not told how soon after the death of Gideon these events happened. There must have been time for the apostacy and establishment of Baal-worship, and for the development of ill-will between Abimelech and his brethren.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Abimelech murders his brethren, and is made king. (1-6) Jotham rebukes the Shechemites. (7-21) The Shechemites conspire against Abimelech. (22-29) Abimelech destroys Shechem. (30-49) Abimelech slain. (50-57) Verses 1-6 The men of Shechem chose Abimelech king. God was not consulted whether they should have any king, much less who it should be. If parents could see what their children would do, and what they are to suffer, their joy in them often would be…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. 1-61. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem--The idolatry which had been stealthily creeping into Israel during the latter years of Gideon was now openly professed; Shechem was wholly inhabited by its adherents; at least, idolaters had the ascendency. Abimelech, one of Gideon's numerous sons, was connected with that place. Ambitious of sovereign power, and having plied successfully the arts of a demagogue with his maternal relatives and friends, he…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 9:1

• Ambition
• Conspiracy
• Judge
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Shechem
• Deserving
• Incline
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth
• Parable
• Abdon (1)
• Chronology of the Old Testament

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