New Living Translation
Judges 9:3
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.
Judges 9:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
- New International Version (NIV)When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And 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.”
Context of Judges 9:3
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, 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!” So 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. 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. 5He 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.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:3 word by word
וַיְדַבְּר֨וּ אֲחֵֽי־אִמּ֜וֹ עָלָ֗יו בְּאָזְנֵי֙ כָּל־בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֵּ֤ט לִבָּם֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ כִּ֥י אָמְר֖וּ אָחִ֥ינוּ הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
- brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- of him in the earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
- of all the menבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
- of Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927
- all these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- and their heartsלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- inclinedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- to followאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- for they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- our brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
Cross-references for Judges 9:3
- Psalms 10:3For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
- Proverbs 1:11They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
- Genesis 29:15Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
Commentaries on Judges 9:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He is our brother - We shall be raised to places of trust under him, and our city will be the capital of the kingdom.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The Ephraimite pride revolted from Abi-ezrite rulers, and inclined them to one who was a Shechemite by birth. (Compare the same spirit in the time of David and Rehoboam, 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16.)Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Abimelech asked for money from the local temple of Baal-berith, a worship center for a mixed Canaanite-Israelite religious group.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 9:3
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries