Judges 9 18

Judges 9:18 kjv

And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

Judges 9:18 nkjv

but you have risen up against my father's house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother?

Judges 9:18 niv

But today you have revolted against my father's family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you.

Judges 9:18 esv

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 ?

Judges 9:18 nlt

But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman's son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative.

Judges 9 verses

Judges 9 18 Meaning

This verse is Jotham's indictment against the inhabitants of Shechem and Beth-millo, exposing their grave betrayal and crime. It explicitly details their rising up in hostility against the lineage of Gideon (Jotham's father), brutally murdering seventy of Gideon's legitimate sons on a single stone. This horrific act paved the way for Abimelech, the son of Gideon's concubine, to be crowned king over Shechem, justified cynically by the mere fact that Abimelech was their "brother," appealing to their tribal loyalty over justice.

Judges 9 18 Context

Judges 9 takes place shortly after the death of Gideon. Gideon, while victorious in battle, had previously refused the offer of kingship for himself and his sons, declaring that only the LORD should rule over Israel. However, Abimelech, one of Gideon's sons born to his concubine in Shechem, lacked Gideon's humility. Fueled by ambition, he conspired with the Shechemites, appealing to their kinship by blood ("he is your brother"). This verse specifically describes the climax of Abimelech's initial treachery: the slaughter of his seventy half-brothers (all of Gideon's legitimate sons except for Jotham, who escaped) "upon one stone" in Ophrah. Jotham, the sole survivor, narrates this dire situation, prophesying judgment against Abimelech and the people of Shechem in the subsequent parable of the trees, highlighting their foolish and wicked choice of a Bramble-King. This act represents a complete breakdown of covenant fidelity, tribal loyalty, and justice, marking a dark chapter of chaos during the period of the Judges, where "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The site of Shechem, historically significant as a place of covenant and blessing, here becomes a site of bloody apostasy and human depravity.

Judges 9 18 Word analysis

• but have risen up (וַתָּקֻ֜מוּ - va-ta-qū-mū):

  • Word: From the Hebrew verb קוּם (qum), meaning "to rise," "to stand up."
  • Significance: Here, it denotes an active, hostile rising or conspiring. It's not a passive assent but a deliberate, forceful movement against something. It implies rebellion and violence. In Jotham's speech, it stresses the intentional and aggressive nature of their betrayal.

• against my father's house (עַל־בֵּ֥ית אָבִ֖י - ʿal-bêt ʾā-ḇî):

  • Word: בֵּית (bêt) - house; אָבִי (ʾā-ḇî) - my father.
  • Significance: "House" signifies not just a physical dwelling but an entire lineage, family, dynasty, and legacy. This phrase emphasizes that the attack was a comprehensive assault on Gideon's name, inheritance, and his very family, intended to eliminate any potential rival to Abimelech's illegitimate claim.

• this day (הַיֹּ֛ום - ha-yōm):

  • Word: הַיֹּום (hayyôm) - "the day" or "this day."
  • Significance: Creates a sense of immediate horror and present tense. It's not a past event, but something that just occurred, bringing the urgency and the weight of the betrayal directly into the present moment for Jotham's listeners. It makes the treachery vivid and undeniable.

• and have killed (וַתַּהַרְג֣וּ - va-ttahar-gū):

  • Word: From הָרַג (harag), "to kill," "to slay."
  • Significance: A strong, direct verb for murder. It leaves no doubt about the violent, premeditated nature of the act. The plural form ("you have killed") emphasizes the collective responsibility of the Shechemites.

• his sons, seventy men (אֶת־בָּנָ֛יו שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ - ʾet-bānāw šiḇʿîm ʾîš):

  • Word: בָּנָיו (bānāw) - his sons; שִׁבְעִים (šiḇʿîm) - seventy; אִ֖ישׁ (ʾîš) - man/men.
  • Significance: The number seventy highlights the scale and completeness of the massacre, virtually wiping out Gideon's legitimate male offspring. This demonstrates an almost unparalleled act of ruthless extermination to secure power. In biblical numerology, "seventy" can signify completion or a multitude, emphasizing the devastating scope of the tragedy.

• upon one stone (עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אֶחָ֖ת - ʿal-ʾeḇen ʾeḥāṯ):

  • Word: אֶבֶן (ʾeḇen) - stone; אֶחָת (ʾeḥāṯ) - one/single.
  • Significance: This detail adds to the barbarity. It suggests a central, perhaps even ritualistic or publicly displayed, place of slaughter, turning the murder into an exhibition of power. It makes the fratricide chillingly coordinated, a unified, grotesque act. Some commentators suggest it might ironically refer to an altar or monument, turning a symbol of worship or remembrance into a monument of sin and betrayal.

• and have made Abimelech (וַתַּמְלִ֨יכוּ֙ אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ - va-ttamlî-ḵū ʾet-ʾă-ḇî-me-leḵ):

  • Word: וַתַּמְלִ֨יכוּ֙ (va-ttamlîḵū) - and you have caused to reign, or made king; אֲבִימֶלֶךְ (ʾă-ḇî-me-leḵ) - Abimelech (meaning "my father is king").
  • Significance: This active verb shows their conscious choice to install Abimelech as king. The irony of Abimelech's name is striking: his father (Gideon) had refused kingship, yet Abimelech declares himself king through violence, living out his name literally by his own bloody ascent to power, contrasting sharply with his father's godly example.

• the son of his female servant (בֶּן־אֲמָתֹ֖ו - ben-ʾămatô):

  • Word: בֶּן (ben) - son; אֲמָתֹו (ʾămatōw) - his female servant/concubine.
  • Significance: Highlights Abimelech's illegitimate or lesser status. While technically Gideon's son, a son born to a concubine often had inferior rights to those born to wives, especially for inheritance or succession. Jotham uses this to emphasize the Shechemites' illogical and disgraceful choice: they preferred a lesser-born, murderous kinsman over the seventy legitimate sons. This would have been considered highly dishonorable in that society.

• because he is your brother (כִּ֥י אֲחִיכֶ֖ם הֽוּא׃ - kî ʾăḥîḵem hûʾ):

  • Word: כִּ֥י (kî) - because/for; אֲחִיכֶ֖ם (ʾaḥîḵem) - your brother; הֽוּא (hûʾ) - he.
  • Significance: Reveals the cynical and corrupt reasoning behind the Shechemites' actions. They appealed to a tribal, blood loyalty ("he is your brother") as a shallow justification for endorsing a usurper and murderer, rather than upholding justice or respecting Gideon's family legacy. This manipulation of kinship ties for power shows a profound moral degradation, valuing familial association over integrity and law.

Judges 9 18 Bonus section

The act of killing "upon one stone" can be interpreted in several ways: a shared execution spot for efficiency; a grotesque inversion of an altar, making it a place of sacrifice to Abimelech's ambition; or simply a designated place for such a heinous public display. This detail underscores the intentional brutality and public nature of the massacre. The narrative of Judges 9 serves as an anti-kingship narrative, demonstrating the disastrous consequences of Israel's desire for a king (as eventually voiced in 1 Samuel) when such a leader emerges from human ambition and violence rather than divine appointment. It shows how seeking power through ungodly means, even if initially successful, leads to bitter ends, contrasting the unstable, wicked reign of Abimelech with the ideal of God's perfect governance. The "brotherhood" appeal by Abimelech to the Shechemites also reflects a twisted sense of loyalty, prioritizing clan identity over universal moral law, leading to profound moral corruption within society.

Judges 9 18 Commentary

Judges 9:18 captures the heart of Jotham's powerful accusation and prophetic curse. It lays bare the depravity and moral vacuum that characterized this period in Israel. The Shechemites, blinded by self-interest and manipulated by Abimelech's appeal to "brotherhood," participate in an unprecedented act of fratricide. The slaughter of seventy sons on a single stone symbolizes the collective and utter destruction of Gideon's legacy by the very people he had served. Their elevation of Abimelech, a concubine's son who committed such an atrocious crime, highlights their preference for an earthly, violent king over the righteous rule, leading them into an unholy alliance that Jotham prophetically knows will end in mutual destruction. It's a stark reminder that human choices made outside divine guidance often lead to bloodshed and eventual self-destruction, illustrating the chaos when "every man did what was right in his own eyes."