Judges 9

Judges 9 stands in stark contrast to the previous chapters. There is no foreign oppressor; instead, the oppression comes from within. The chapter details the rise and fall of Abimelech, Gideon’s son by a concubine. Motivated by raw ambition, Abimelech conspires with his mother’s kin in Shechem to massacre his seventy half-brothers and seize the throne. The sole survivor, Jotham, pronounces a curse upon them through a famous fable. The narrative chronicles the unraveling of this unholy alliance, resulting in a bloody civil war, the total destruction of Shechem, and Abimelech’s ignoble death at the hands of a woman. It is a grim case study on the consequences of ungodly leadership and divine retribution.

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1. The Conspiracy and the Massacre (Judges 9:1–6 ESV)

Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives… “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” …And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows… 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… was left, for he hid himself. And all the leaders of Shechem… made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.

Commentary:

• The Anti-Judge: Abimelech is the opposite of a biblical judge. Judges were raised up by God to save; Abimelech raises himself up to destroy.
• Political Manipulation: He uses identity politics (“I am your bone and flesh”) to secure loyalty from his mother’s clan in Shechem, playing on tribal favoritism.
• Blood Money: His revolution is funded by the treasury of the idol temple (“house of Baal-berith”). Idolatry fuels violence.
• The Slaughter: The execution of 70 brothers “on one stone” suggests a ritualistic slaughter, emphasizing Abimelech’s brutality.
• The Coronation: He is made king by the “oak of the pillar,” a sacred site (likely associated with Joshua’s covenant stone in Joshua 24:26). The irony is sharp: they are installing a tyrant at the very place they once swore allegiance to Yahweh.

2. Jotham’s Fable of the Trees (Judges 9:7–21 ESV)

…Jotham… called out to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ 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?’ [The Fig tree and Vine also refuse]. Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ 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.’” …“If then you have acted in good faith… then rejoice in Abimelech… But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem… and devour Abimelech.”

Commentary:

• The Fable’s Meaning: This is one of the most famous parables in the Old Testament.
  • Productive Trees (Olive, Fig, Vine): Represent worthy people who are too busy doing good work (producing oil, fruit, wine) to seek power for power’s sake. They understand that leading requires sacrificing their productivity.
  • The Bramble (Thornbush): Represents the worthless candidate. It produces no fruit and offers no shade (in fact, it chokes other plants). Yet, it is the only one arrogant enough to accept the crown.
• The Threat: The bramble warns that if the trees don’t trust it, “fire” will come out. In the dry Palestinian summer, thornbushes were often the source of wildfires that destroyed the majestic cedars.
• The Curse: Jotham predicts mutual destruction. Abimelech (the bramble) will destroy Shechem (the cedars), and Shechem will destroy Abimelech.

3. The Spirit of Discord (Judges 9:22–29 ESV)

Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come… and their blood be laid on Abimelech… …And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem… and said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? … Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech.”

Commentary:

• Divine Sovereignty: “God sent an evil spirit.” This does not mean God is the author of moral evil, but that He withdrew His restraining hand and allowed animosity and paranoia to fester as a form of judgment.
• The Breakup: Relationships built on sin do not last. The Shechemites, who paid for Abimelech to kill his brothers, now tire of their puppet.
• Gaal the Boaster: A new opportunist, Gaal, arrives during the grape harvest festival (likely a drunken affair) and stirs up rebellion, challenging Abimelech’s authority.

4. The Destruction of Shechem (Judges 9:30–49 ESV)

…Abimelech and the troops that were with him rose up by night… Abimelech chased [Gaal], and he fled before him. …Abimelech took the city and killed the people who were in it and razed the city and sowed it with salt. When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith. …Abimelech… took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood… and all the people likewise cut down his own bundle… and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

Commentary:

• Sowing with Salt: After defeating Gaal, Abimelech turns on the city that crowned him. He razes it and “sows it with salt,” a ritual act symbolizing permanent desolation and a curse on the soil.
• The Fulfillment of the Fire: The leaders retreat to the temple fortress of El-berith (God of the Covenant) for safety. In a literal fulfillment of Jotham’s fable (“let fire come out of the bramble”), Abimelech burns them alive using brushwood.
• Irony: The money from this temple started his career (v. 4); the fire of this temple ends their lives. The place of their idolatry became their tomb.

5. The Death of Abimelech (Judges 9:50–57 ESV)

Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. But there was a strong tower within the city… Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man thrust him through, and he died. …Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech… and the evil of the men of Shechem… upon them came the curse of Jotham…

Commentary:

• The Siege of Thebez: Unsatisfied with destroying Shechem, Abimelech attacks Thebez. He attempts the same tactic—burning the tower.
• The Millstone: An “upper millstone” (a heavy riding stone used for grinding grain) is dropped by a woman.
• Poetic Justice:
  • He killed his brothers on a stone (v. 5); he is killed by a stone.
  • He killed his brothers to eliminate rivals; he is killed by a nameless woman, a humiliating death for a warrior in the ancient Near East.
• Vanity to the End: His final words are not of repentance, but of pride. He is more concerned with his reputation (“lest they say a woman killed him”) than his soul. Ironically, the narrator ensures we know exactly who killed him.

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Theological Significance of Judges 9

• Retributive Justice: The chapter is a clear demonstration of the principle that “what you sow, you reap.” God actively ensures that the wickedness of Abimelech and the Shechemites returns upon their own heads (v. 56-57).
• The Nature of Ungodly Leadership: Jotham’s fable provides a timeless theology of politics. When righteous people withdraw from leadership, “brambles” (useless, prickly, arrogant men) take over, bringing destruction to themselves and their followers.
• The Silence of God? God does not speak directly in this chapter, nor does He raise a judge. However, He is the silent actor behind the scenes, sending the “evil spirit” and ensuring justice prevails. It shows God is sovereign even in the darkest political chaos.

Practical Applications

• Beware the Bramble: In voting, hiring, or following leaders, look for “fruit” (service, humility, productivity) rather than “thorns” (ambition, noise, defensiveness). Arrogant leaders eventually burn those who support them.
• The Danger of Passivity: The “good trees” (Olive, Fig, Vine) refused to lead because they didn’t want to be bothered. When good people refuse to influence their community, they leave a vacuum for evil to fill.
• Sin is Self-Destructive: The alliance between Abimelech and Shechem was formed in sin, and it eventually consumed both parties. You cannot build a stable life or community on a foundation of wrong-doing.
• Pride vs. Legacy: Abimelech worried about his reputation while dying, yet he is remembered forever as the man who murdered his brothers and was crushed by a woman. True legacy comes from character, not image management.

Final Insight

Judges 9 serves as a terrifying interlude in the book—a civil war where everyone loses. It teaches that while God may be patient, He is not blind. The “stones” of our past sins, if not repented of, will eventually fall on our own heads.