Judges 9:4

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

2Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3And 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. 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. 5And 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. 6And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Judges 9:4 word by word

וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ֙ שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף מִבֵּ֖יתּ בַ֣עַל בְּרִ֑ית וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר בָּהֶ֜ם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵיקִים֙ וּפֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אַחֲרָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

• 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 9:46And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
• Judges 8:33And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal–berith their god.
• Judges 11:3Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
• 1 Samuel 22:2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
• 2 Chronicles 13:7And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
• Job 30:8They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.
• Proverbs 12:11He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.
• Acts 17:5But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

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

• Ambition
• Baal-Berith
• Conspiracy
• Judge
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Baal
• Baal-Berith
• Baalberith
• Deserving
• Incline
• Merry
• Middle
• Mouth
• Parable

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