New Living Translation
Judges 9:27
27During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech.
Judges 9:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
- New International Version (NIV)After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
Context of Judges 9:27
25The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot. 26One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem. During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech. 28“Who is Abimelech?” Gaal shouted. “He’s not a true son of Shechem, so why should we be his servants? He’s merely the son of Gideon, and this Zebul is merely his deputy. Serve the true sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? 29If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!’”
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:27 word by word
וַיֵּצְא֨וּ הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה וַֽיִּבְצְר֤וּ אֶת־כַּרְמֵיהֶם֙ וַֽיִּדְרְכ֔וּ וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֖וּ הִלּוּלִ֑ים וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית אֱֽלֹֽהֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ וַיִּשְׁתּ֔וּ וַֽיְקַלְל֖וּ אֶת־אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into the fieldsשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- and gatheredבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219
- their vineyardsכֶּרֶםkerem · vineyardH3754
- and trodeדָּרַךְdârak · to treadH1869
- and madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- merryהִלּוּלhillûl · praiseH1974
- and wentבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- into the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
- of their godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and did eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- and cursedקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
Cross-references for Judges 9:27
- Isaiah 16:9So now I weep for Jazer and the vineyards of Sibmah; my tears will flow for Heshbon and Elealeh. There are no more shouts of joy over your summer fruits and harvest.
- Isaiah 24:7The grapevines waste away, and there is no new wine. All the merrymakers sigh and mourn.
- Jeremiah 25:30“Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, “‘The Lord will roar against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout like those who tread grapes; he will shout against everyone on earth.
- Amos 6:3You push away every thought of coming disaster, but your actions only bring the day of judgment closer.
- Judges 9:4They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him.
- Judges 16:23The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, “Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!”
- Exodus 32:6The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.
- Daniel 5:1Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
- Isaiah 22:12At that time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.
- Luke 12:19And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- Luke 17:26“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.
- Leviticus 24:11During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of the Lord with a curse. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.
- 1 Samuel 17:43“Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
- Psalms 109:17He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him.
Commentaries on Judges 9:27
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27-29Verses 27-29 Seditious and lawless acts Judges 9:25-26 now broke out into open rebellion. It was at an idolatrous feast in the house of Baal-berith, on occasion of the vintage, and when they were excited with wine, that the rebellion was matured. Those present began to “curse Abimelech,” to speak insultingly of him, and to revile him (compare Leviticus 20:9; 2 Samuel 19:21; Isaiah 8:21). Gaal, the son of Ebed, who was watching the opportunity, immediately…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-29Verses 22-29 Abimelech is seated in the throne his father refused. But how long does this glory last? Stay but three years, and see the bramble withered and burned. The prosperity of the wicked is short and fickle. The Shechemites are plagued by no other hand than Abimelech's. They raised him unjustly to the throne; they first feel the weight of his sceptre.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-29People were unhappy with Abimelech, and there was social unrest. With plenty of wine and careless talk, Gaal easily gained initial support.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-4922. When Abimelech had reigned three years--His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:27
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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