New King James Version
Judges 9:5
5Then 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)He went to his father’s home at Ophrah, and there, on one stone, they killed all seventy of his half brothers, the sons of Gideon. But the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and hid.
Context of Judges 9:5
3And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” 4So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. 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. 6And 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. 7Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, 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
People and places in Judges 9:5
Cross-references for Judges 9:5
- Judges 6:24So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- 2 Kings 10:17And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to 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 destroyed all the royal heirs.
- 2 Chronicles 21:4Now when Jehoram was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.
- Matthew 2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries