New English Translation
Judges 9:5
5He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, the seventy legitimate sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, because he hid.
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
3His mother’s relatives spoke on his behalf to all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; they said, “He is our close relative.” 4They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous men as his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, the seventy legitimate sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, because he hid. 6All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem. 7When Jotham heard the news, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
Read all of Judges 9Judges 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- unto his father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- at Ophrahעׇפְרָה‛ophrâh · OphrahH6084
- and slewהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- his brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
- threescore and tenשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
- personsאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- upon oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- notwithstanding yet Jothamיוֹתָםyôthâm · JothamH3147
- the youngestקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · small: youngH6996
- was leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
- for he hidחָבָאchâbâ' · to hideH2244
Cross-references for Judges 9:5
- Judges 6:24Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- 2 Kings 10:17He went to Samaria and exterminated all the members of Ahab’s family who were still alive in Samaria, just as the Lord had announced to Elijah.
- 2 Kings 11:1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line.
- 2 Chronicles 21:4Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. Then he killed all his brothers, as well as some of the officials of Israel.
- Matthew 2:16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.
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
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
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