Chapter 44 Destruction Of Shechem Series

Chapter 44

Destruction of Shechem [Judges 9.42-9.45]

Scripture: Judges 9:42-45 (KJV)

42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.

43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.

44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.

45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

Commentary

42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.--Judges 9.42 (KJV)

42 The next day the people {of Shechem} went into the fields. Abimelech was told about it.--Judges 9.42 (GW)

The mention in [1]Judges 9:41 that Gaal and his brethren were forbidden to live in Shechem is probably an indication that they were not involved in the slaughter of the whole city mentioned in this passage. It appears likely that if Gaal indeed had been killed, that some mention of it would have been found here. Therefore, we should assume that at this point, he and his followers had already left Shechem.

And it came to pass on the morrow…

On the morrow in the present text refers to the day following the expulsion of Gaal; however, there are those who say that the story fits together better after [2]verse 25, in which case it refers to the day after Abemilech had been informed of the treacherous behavior of the Shechemites. On this day, Abimelech was back in his town of [3]Arumah. But he was not yet done with Shechem, because he wanted to do them even greater harm for their treacherous dealings with him, and because they had not laid down their arms. Perhaps Abimelech had been notified of their expelling Gaal, who had headed the faction that wanted to wrest control of the city from him; which they thought would have satisfied him. But it wasn’t enough to atone for their crime, and he resented them too much to be pacified by so small an instance of submission; besides expelling Gaal was more Zebul's act than theirs. Their hands were weakened without Gaal, and therefore he resolved to follow yesterday’s victory with another blow, and essentially to chastise them for their treachery

that the people went out into the field...

Some think they went outside the city to fight another battle in order to be freed from Abimelech, but that doesn’t seem very likely. I would rather think they wanted to finish the grape harvest, which would agree with Josephus. Or perhaps they planned to till their ground, to plow and sow wheat, barley or some such crop; which always quickly followed the harvesting of grapes. They could have felt safe and secure since Abimelech had withdrawn himself and his forces to his place of habitation. They may have concluded that he would not return to them for a while; and that when he did return he would be easy on them since Gaal was forced to leave the city.

and they told Abimelech;...Abimelech had intelligence from Zebul and his party brought to him that said the people of Shechem had come out into the field, and so he saw an opportunity to return and cut them off from the city gates while they were unarmed and busy with the harvest.

__________________verse 42 notes_____________________

[1] (Judges 9:41; NCV) “While Abimelech stayed at Arumah, Zebul forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.”

[2](Judges 9:25; NKJV) “And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.” The men of Shechem set men in ambush —it pleased God to punish this bad man by the very persons who had contributed to his iniquitous elevation. So God often makes the instruments of men's sins the means of their punishment. It is likely that although Abimelech had his chief residence at Shechem, yet he frequently went to Ophrah, the city of his father; his claim to which there was none to oppose, as he had slain all his brethren. It was probably in his passage between those two places that the Shechemites had posted cut-throats, in order to assassinate him; as such men had no moral principle, they robbed and plundered all who came that way.—Adam Clarke's Commentary