New Living Translation
Judges 9:1
1One 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,
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,
- New International Version (NIV)Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,
- 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,
Context of Judges 9:1
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, 2“Ask the leading citizens of Shechem whether they want to be ruled by all seventy of Gideon’s sons or by one man. And remember that I am your own flesh and blood!” 3So Abimelech’s uncles gave his message to all the citizens of Shechem on his behalf. And after listening to this proposal, the people of Shechem decided in favor of Abimelech because he was their relative.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 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 8:31He also had a concubine in Shechem, who gave birth to a son, whom he named Abimelech.
- Genesis 33:18Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town.
- Genesis 34:2But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.
- 1 Kings 12:1Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.
- 2 Samuel 15:6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.
- 1 Kings 12:3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.
- Psalms 83:2Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?
- Jeremiah 18:18Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what 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
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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