Israel Oppressed by Midian
6 Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. DO EVIL AND THERE MAY BE CONSEQUENCES.
2 The [a]power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and [b]go against them. 4 So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth [c]as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/california-crops-lost-floods-shortage : While the state grows about half of all the fruit and vegetables for the country, Monterey County is responsible for over $4 billion in revenue primarily through strawberries, lettuce and broccoli.
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts (OR MOTHS IN CO IN MAY:); for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. 6 So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord.
7 Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian, 8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of [d]slavery. WHEN WE CRY OUT TO THE LORD SOMEONE MAY BE SENT TO US TO CHALLENGE OR ENCOURAGE US.
9 I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, 10 and I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not [e]obeyed Me.”’” ONLY FEAR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
Gideon Is Visited (THERE WERE 7 YEARS OF OPPRESSION - MIDIANITES THEN 40 YEARS OF REST -MHM)
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the [f]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. I GUESS ANGELS MAY LIKE SITTING UNDER OAKS, TOO. :)
12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” I'M THANKFUL THE LORD HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR 22 YEARS IN THE ACTIVE, GUARD AND RESERVE ARMY.
13 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord [g]looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO THE LORD, THE LORD MAY NOT GIVE YOU THE ANSWER YOU WANT.
15 He said to Him, “O Lord, [h]how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” 16 But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall [i]defeat Midian as one man.” I PRAY I'M ABLE TO DEFEAT EVIL INDIVIDUALLY, AND YOU AS WELL, BUT BETTER 2 HAVE 2.
17 So [j]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED BELOW.
18 Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.”
19 Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an [k]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket [l]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the [m]oak and presented them. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the Lord [n]vanished from his sight. THAT WOULD BE WILD TO SEE!
22 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, [o]he said, “Alas, O Lord [p]God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it [q]The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull [r]and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the [s]Asherah that is beside it; (wooden symbol of a female deity, also vv 26, 28, 30) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity "Baal, god worshipped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon."
26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. IN WEST AFRICA WE WENT TO A HIGH PLACE TO PRAY.
The Altar of Baal Destroyed
28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. 29 They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will [t]plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” 32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar. THIS IS LIKE ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL IN 1 KINGS 18.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. 34 So the Spirit of the Lord [u]came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.
Sign of the Fleece WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF TESTING GOD - IT'S ALLOWED IN MALACHI 3 RE: MONEY.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel [v]through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel [w]through me, as You have spoken.” 38 And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40 God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.
Footnotes
Judges 6:2 Lit hand
Judges 6:3 Lit go up
Judges 6:4 Lit until your coming to
Judges 6:8 Lit slaves
Judges 6:10 Lit listened to My voice
Judges 6:11 Or terebinth
Judges 6:14 Or turned toward
Judges 6:15 Lit with what
Judges 6:16 Lit smite
Judges 6:17 Lit he
Judges 6:19 I.e. Approx one bu
Judges 6:19 Lit and he put
Judges 6:19 Or terebinth
Judges 6:21 Or departed
Judges 6:22 Lit Gideon
Judges 6:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
Judges 6:24 Heb Yahweh-shalom
Judges 6:25 Or even
Judges 6:25 I.e. wooden symbol of a female deity, also vv 26, 28, 30
Judges 6:31 Or contend
Judges 6:34 Lit clothed
Judges 6:36 Lit by my hand
Judges 6:37 Lit by my hand
Gideon’s 300 Chosen Men
7 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside [a]the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of [b]them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel [c]would become boastful, saying, ‘My own [d]power has delivered me.’ 3 Now therefore [e]come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’” So 22,000 (ABOUT THE SIZE OF FT. CARSON, CO) people returned, but 10,000 remained.
4 Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.” 6 Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his [f]home.” 8 So [g]the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And [h]Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. IF WE HAD TO DRINK FROM A RIVER, HOW WOULD WE DO IT?
9 Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 11 and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the [i]outposts of the army that was in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I [j]had a dream; [k]a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it [l]upside down so that the tent lay flat.” 14 His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”
15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” 16 He divided the 300 men into three [m]companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. 17 He said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, [n]do as I do. 18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
Confusion of the Enemy
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 When the three [o]companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the [p]army ran, crying out as they fled. 22 When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole [q]army; and the [r]army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 The men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down [s]against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.
Footnotes
Judges 7:1 Or En-Harod
Judges 7:1 Lit him
Judges 7:2 Lit glorify itself against me
Judges 7:2 Lit hand
Judges 7:3 Or please
Judges 7:7 Lit place
Judges 7:8 Lit they
Judges 7:8 Lit he
Judges 7:11 Lit extremity of the battle array
Judges 7:13 Lit dreamed
Judges 7:13 Lit and behold, a loaf
Judges 7:13 Lit upwards
Judges 7:16 Lit heads
Judges 7:17 Lit it shall come about that just as I do, so you shall do
Judges 7:20 Lit heads
Judges 7:21 Or camp
Judges 7:22 Or camp
Judges 7:22 Or camp
Judges 7:24 Lit to meet
Zebah and Zalmunna Routed
8 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him vigorously. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their [a]anger toward him subsided when he said [b]that.
4 Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. 5 He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The leaders of Succoth said, “[c]Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “[d]All right, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will [e]thrash your [f]bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 He went up from there to [g]Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their [h]armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire [i]army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 [j]swordsmen. 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and [k]attacked the camp when the camp was [l]unsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole [m]army.
13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle [n]by the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth [o]from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘[p]Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’” 16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he [q]disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17 He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “They were like you, each one [r]resembling the son of a king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength.” So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels’ necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” 24 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would [s]request of you, that each of you give me [t]an earring from his spoil.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 They said, “We will surely give them.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold (PULPIT COMMENTARY~$4K), besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made it into an ephod (APRON), and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
Forty Years of Peace
28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.
29 Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons who [u]were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he [v]named him Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel.
Footnotes
Judges 8:3 Lit spirit
Judges 8:3 Lit this thing
Judges 8:6 Lit Is the palm
Judges 8:7 Lit For thus
Judges 8:7 Or trample
Judges 8:7 Lit flesh
Judges 8:8 In Gen 32:30, Peniel
Judges 8:10 Or camps
Judges 8:10 Or camp
Judges 8:10 Lit men who drew sword
Judges 8:11 Lit smote
Judges 8:11 Or secure
Judges 8:12 Or camp
Judges 8:13 Or from
Judges 8:14 Lit of the men of
Judges 8:15 Lit Is the palm
Judges 8:16 Lit made the men...to know
Judges 8:18 Lit like the form of the sons
Judges 8:24 Lit request a request
Judges 8:24 Or a nose ring
Judges 8:30 Lit came from his loins
Judges 8:31 Lit appointed his name
Abimelech’s Conspiracy
9 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s [a]relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father, saying, 2 “Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh.” 3 And his mother’s [b]relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and [c]they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our [d]relative.” 4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver ((2X AS MUCH AS JUDAS’ BETRAYAL OF JESUS), >$500 from the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him. 5 Then 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. 6 All the men of Shechem and all [e]Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the [f]oak of the pillar which was in Shechem. IF YOU ARE A RUSH FAN, THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE TREES. 😊
7 Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8 Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ 9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with [g]which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good [h]fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ 12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 13 But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ 14 Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ 15 The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in [i]truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 “Now therefore, if you have dealt in [j]truth and integrity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and [k]have dealt with him [l]as he deserved— 17 for my father fought for you and [m]risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian; 18 but you have risen against my father’s house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your [n]relative— 19 if then you have dealt in [o]truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and [p]Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from [q]Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.” 21 Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.
Shechem and Abimelech Fall
22 Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 so that the violence [r]done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 The men of Shechem set [s]men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech. GOD ALLOWS EVIL – LIKE IN JOB. PRAY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO US.
26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his [t]relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27 They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a [u]festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. CHURCH IS CHRIST'S HOLY HOME. 28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his [v]lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 [w]Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out.”
30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. WE NEED TO APPROPRIATELY MANAGE OUR ANGER. 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech [x]deceitfully, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his [y]relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are [z]stirring up the city against you. 32 Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33 In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them [aa]whatever you can.”
34 So Abimelech and all the people who were with him arose by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four [ab]companies. 35 Now Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate; and Abimelech and the people who were with him arose from the ambush. 36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “[ac]Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” But Zebul said to him, “You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” 37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Behold, people are coming down from the [ad]highest part of the land, and one [ae]company comes by the way of [af]the diviners’ [ag]oak.” DO WE HAVE IDOLS IN OUR HOME / JOB? 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your [ah]boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!” 39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40 Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded up to the entrance of the gate. 41 Then Abimelech remained at Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his [ai]relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem.
42 Now it came about the next day, that the people went out to the field, and it was told to Abimelech. 43 So he took [aj]his people and divided them into three [ak]companies, and lay in wait in the field; when he looked and [al]saw the people coming out from the city, he arose against them and [am]slew them. 44 Then Abimelech and the [an]company who was with him dashed forward and stood in the entrance of the city gate; the other two [ao]companies then dashed against all who were in the field and [ap]slew them. 45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
46 When all the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the inner chamber of the [aq]temple of El-berith. 47 It was told Abimelech that all the leaders of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took [ar]an axe in his hand and cut down a branch from the trees, and lifted it and laid it on his shoulder. Then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do [as]likewise.” 49 All the people also cut down each one his branch and followed Abimelech, and put them on the inner chamber and set the inner chamber on fire over those inside, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52 So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain (STRONG?) woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ‘A woman slew him.’” (A SIGN OF WEAKNESS) So [at]the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55 When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his [au]home. 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came [av]upon them. (NOTE GOD REPAYS WICKEDNESS - VENGEANCE IS MINE SAYS THE LORD-ROMANS 12:19)
Footnotes
Judges 9:1 Lit brothers
Judges 9:3 Lit brothers
Judges 9:3 Lit their hearts inclined after
Judges 9:3 Lit brother
Judges 9:6 Or the house of Millo
Judges 9:6 Or terebinth
Judges 9:9 Lit which by me
Judges 9:11 Or produce
Judges 9:15 Or sincerity
Judges 9:16 Or sincerity
Judges 9:16 Lit if you have
Judges 9:16 Lit according to the dealing of his hands
Judges 9:17 Lit cast his soul in front
Judges 9:18 Lit brother
Judges 9:19 Or sincerity
Judges 9:20 Or the house of Millo
Judges 9:20 Or the house of Millo
Judges 9:24 Lit of the seventy
Judges 9:25 Lit liers-in-wait for
Judges 9:26 Lit brothers
Judges 9:27 Lit rejoicing
Judges 9:28 Lit overseer
Judges 9:29 Lit And who will give this people into my hand
Judges 9:31 Or in Tormah
Judges 9:31 Lit brothers
Judges 9:31 Lit besieging
Judges 9:33 Lit as your hand can find
Judges 9:34 Lit heads
Judges 9:36 Lit Behold
Judges 9:37 Or center
Judges 9:37 Lit head
Judges 9:37 Heb Elommeonenim
Judges 9:37 Or terebinth
Judges 9:38 Lit mouth
Judges 9:41 Lit brothers
Judges 9:43 Lit the
Judges 9:43 Lit heads
Judges 9:43 Lit behold
Judges 9:43 Lit smote
Judges 9:44 Singular with Gr; Heb plural, heads
Judges 9:44 Lit heads
Judges 9:44 Lit smote
Judges 9:46 Lit house
Judges 9:48 Lit the axes
Judges 9:48 Lit like me
Judges 9:54 Lit his
Judges 9:55 Lit place
Judges 9:57 Lit to
Oppression of Philistines and Ammonites
(THE FOLLOWING CAPITALIZED IN PARENTHESIS IS C/O MARILYN HICKEY MINISTRIES:
TOLA: OPPRESSION BY ABIMALECH, 23 YEARS REST)
10 Now after Abimelech died, Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel; and
he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir.
3 After him, Jair the Gileadite arose and judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities [a]in the land of Gilead that are called [b]Havvoth-jair to this day. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon. (23 YEARS REST)
(JEPHTHAH - 18 YEARS OF OPRRESION-AMON AND PHILISTINES, 6 YEARS OF REST)
6 Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. 7 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon. 8 They [c]afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel [d]that year; for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan [e]in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. 9 The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed.
10 Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11 The Lord said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? 12 Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.” 15 The sons of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and [f]He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.
17 Then the sons of Ammon were summoned and they camped in Gilead. And the sons of Israel gathered together and camped in Mizpah. 18 The people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon? He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”
Footnotes
Judges 10:4 Lit which are in
Judges 10:4 I.e. the towns of Jair
Judges 10:8 Lit shattered
Judges 10:8 Lit in that
Judges 10:8 Lit which is in
Judges 10:16 Lit His soul was short with the misery
