New Living Translation
Judges 9:4
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 9:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal–berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
- New International Version (NIV)They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So 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.
Context of Judges 9:4
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. They 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. 6Then all the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo called a meeting under the oak beside the pillar at Shechem and made Abimelech their king.
Read all of Judges 9Judges 9:4 word by word
וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף מִבֵּ֖יתּ בַ֣עַל בְּרִ֑ית וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר בָּהֶ֜ם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵיקִים֙ וּפֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אַחֲרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him threescore and tenשִׁבְעִיםshib‛îym · seventyH7657
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- out of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- of Baal–berithבַּעַל בְּרִיתba‛al berîyth · Baal-berithH1170
- wherewith Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- hiredשָׂכַרώâkar sâkar · to hireH7936
- vainרֵיקrêyq rêq · worthlessH7386
- and lightפָּחַזpâchaz · be recklessH6348
- personsאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- which followedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- himאַחַר'achar · afterH310
Cross-references for Judges 9:4
- Judges 9:46When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal-berith.
- Judges 8:33As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.
- Judges 11:3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him.
- 1 Samuel 22:2Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.
- 2 Chronicles 13:7Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them.
- Job 30:8They are nameless fools, outcasts from society.
- Proverbs 12:11A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.
- Acts 17:5But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.
Commentaries on Judges 9:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Threescore and ten pieces of silver - Probably shekels; and this was the whole of his exchequer. As he was now usurping the government of God, he begins with a contribution from the idol temple. A work begun under the name and influence of the devil is not likely to end to the glory of God, or to the welfare of man. Hired vain and light persons - ופחזים ריקים אנשים anashim reykim uphochazim, worthless and dissolute men; persons who were living on the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4True leaders earn loyalty and appeal to the noble in society, not to reckless troublemakers like Abimelech's hired followers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the house of Baal-berith--either the temple, or the place where this idol was worshipped; Baal-berith, "god of the covenant," by invocation of whom the league of cities was formed. Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him--idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 9:4
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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