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,
• 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,
• New Living Translation (NLT)One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles—his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family,

Context of Judges 9:1

Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.” 3When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.”

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Jerubbaalיְרֻבַּ֫עַלyerûbba‛al · JerubbaalH3378
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• to Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
• unto his mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
• brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• and communedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• with them, and with all the familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559

Cross-references for Judges 9:1

• Judges 8:31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.
• Genesis 33:18After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city.
• Genesis 34:2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.
• 1 Kings 12:1Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king.
• 2 Samuel 15:6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
• 1 Kings 12:3So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
• Psalms 83:2See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
• Jeremiah 18:18They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”

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