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

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.” 4And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, and they followed him. Then he went to his father’s house in Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. 6All the leaders of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the memorial stone which was in Shechem. 7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and raised his voice and called out. And he said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may 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

• Then he wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• in Ophrahעׇפְרָה‛ophrâh · OphrahH6084
• killedהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• his brothersאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• seventyשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• on oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• But Jothamיוֹתָםyôthâm · JothamH3147
• the youngestקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · small: youngH6996
• was leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• he hidחָבָאchâbâ' · to hideH2244

Cross-references for Judges 9:5

• Judges 6:24Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
• 2 Kings 10:17When he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had eliminated them, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.
• 2 Kings 11:1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and eliminated all the royal children.
• 2 Chronicles 21:4Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and gathered courage, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the leaders of Israel as well.
• Matthew 2:16Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent men and killed all the boys who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had determined 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