Abimelech's Conspiracy
1
Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to p his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family,
2
"Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all q seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that p I am r your bone and your flesh."
3
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, s "He is our brother."
4
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of t Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired u worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
5
And he went to his father's house at v Ophrah w and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
6
And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all x Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
7
When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of y Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8
z The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, a 'Reign over us.'
9
But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?'
10
And the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us.'
11
But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?'
12
And the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.'
13
But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine that b cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?'
14
Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.'
15
And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and c take refuge in my shade, but if not, d let fire come out of the bramble and devour e the cedars of Lebanon.'
16
"Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with f Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him g as his deeds deserved -
17
for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian,
18
and you have risen up against my father's house this day h and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made i Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, j because he is your relative -
19
if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then k rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.
20
But if not, l let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech."
21
And Jotham ran away and fled and went to m Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.
-
Cross References
Judges 8:31
And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.
-
Cross References
Judges 8:30
Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:1
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.
-
Cross References
Genesis 29:14
And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh!" And he stayed with him a month.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:18
And you have risen up against my father's house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative -
-
Cross References
Judges 8:33
As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.
Judges 9:46
When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith.
-
Cross References
Judges 11:3
Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.
2 Chronicles 13:7
And certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.
Proverbs 12:11
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
Acts 17:5
But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
-
Cross References
Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
-
Cross References
2 Kings 11:1 - 2
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.
2 Samuel 5:9
And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.
-
Cross References
Deuteronomy 11:29
And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
Deuteronomy 27:12
When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Joshua 8:33
And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel.
John 4:20
Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.
-
Cross References
2 Kings 14:9
And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.
-
Cross References
Judges 8:22 - 23
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.
-
Cross References
Psalms 104:15
And wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.
-
Cross References
Daniel 4:12
Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
Hosea 14:7
They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
Isaiah 30:2
Who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!
-
Cross References
Judges 9:20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.
Numbers 21:28
For fire came out from Heshbon, flame from the city of Sihon. It devoured Ar of Moab, and swallowed the heights of the Arnon.
Ezekiel 19:14
And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.
-
Cross References
1 Kings 4:33
He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Le...
2 Kings 14:9
And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah...
2 Kings 19:23
By your messengers you have mocked the Lord, an...
Psalms 104:16
The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, t...
Isaiah 2:13
Against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and li...
Isaiah 37:24
By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and ...
-
Cross References
Judges 6:32
Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar.
-
Cross References
Proverbs 12:14
From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
Judges 8:35
And they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:5 - 6
And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
-
Cross References
Judges 8:31
And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:3
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.
-
Cross References
Isaiah 8:6
Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:15
And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
Judges 9:56 - 57
Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.
-
Cross References
Numbers 21:16
And from there they continued to Beer; that is the well of which the Lord said to Moses, "Gather the people together, so that I may give them water.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.