New English Translation
Judges 9:6
6All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.
Judges 9:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
- New International Version (NIV)Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.
Context of Judges 9:6
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. 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. All 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! 8“The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:6 word by word
וַיֵּאָ֨סְפ֜וּ כָּל־בַּעֲלֵ֤י שְׁכֶם֙ וְכָל־בֵּ֣ית מִלּ֔וֹא וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ וַיַּמְלִ֥יכוּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ לְמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־אֵל֥וֹן מֻצָּ֖ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the menבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
- of Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
- gathered togetherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
- and all the houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- of Milloבֵּית מִלּוֹאbêyth millô' bêyth millô' · Beth-milloH1037
- of Milloמִלּוֹאmillô' millô' · MilloH4407
- and wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and madeמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- by the plainאֵלוֹן'êlôn · terebinthH436
- of the pillarנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
Cross-references for Judges 9:6
- 2 Samuel 5:9So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. David built all around it, from the terrace inwards.
- 2 Kings 12:20His servants conspired against him and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla.
- Joshua 24:26Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine.
- 1 Kings 12:1Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.
Commentaries on Judges 9:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6And all the house of Millo - If Millo be the name of a place, it is nowhere else mentioned in the sacred writings. But it is probably the name of a person of note and influence in the city of Shechem - the men of Shechem and the family of Millo.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Millo must have been a fortified place close to, but separate from, Shechem, and perhaps the same as the tower of Shechem mentioned in Judges 9:46-47. The building or enlarging of the better-known Millo, at Jerusalem was one of Solomon‘s great works 1 Kings 9:15, 1 Kings 9:24. The population dwelling in Millo though perhaps numerically small, had great weight from possessing the stronghold. Their giving Abimelech the title of king indicates the strong…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Beth-millo, meaning "house of filling," was likely a raised platform for a tower or inner keep (see 2 Samuel 5:9; 1 Kings 9:15, 24). The irony is strong: Abimelech, lacking divine approval, priestly blessing, and public support, met at the "house of filling." His rule was fake.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. all the men of Shechem ..., and all the house of Millo--that is, a mound or rampart, so that the meaning is, all the men in the house or temple; namely, the priests of Baal. made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar--rather, "by the oak near a raised mound"--so that the ceremony of coronation might be conspicuous to a crowd.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:6
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries