Judges 9 27

Judges 9:27 kjv

And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

Judges 9:27 nkjv

So they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.

Judges 9:27 niv

After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek.

Judges 9:27 esv

And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech.

Judges 9:27 nlt

During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech.

Judges 9 verses

Judges 9 27 Meaning

Judges 9:27 describes the citizens of Shechem engaging in a grape harvest festival, a significant agricultural celebration. They went into their vineyards, gathered their grapes, and then trod them to make wine. As part of their celebratory feasting, they entered the temple of Baal-berith, their pagan deity, where they ate and drank profusely. In a display of drunken revelry or emerging discontent, they began to openly revile and curse Abimelech, the very king they had helped enthrone.

Judges 9 27 Context

The setting for Judges 9:27 is the direct aftermath of Abimelech's tyrannical seizure of power in Shechem. Three years prior, Abimelech, a son of Gideon by a concubine, ruthlessly murdered his seventy half-brothers to become king over Shechem, with the backing of the leaders of Shechem who provided him money from the temple of Baal-berith (Jdg 9:1-6). Only Jotham, the youngest brother, escaped and publicly delivered a powerful fable (Jdg 9:7-15) and a prophetic curse (Jdg 9:16-20) upon both Abimelech and the men of Shechem, predicting mutual destruction as a just recompense for their heinous acts. Verse 27 marks the beginning of the fulfillment of Jotham's curse, as God sends an "evil spirit" (a spirit of discord or enmity) between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Jdg 9:22-23), causing them to turn treacherous against their self-appointed king. The grape harvest festival becomes the catalyst for their open rebellion.

Historically and culturally, grape harvests in the ancient Near East were significant communal events, universally celebrated with joyous festivals and feasting. The term "hilulim" signifies loud rejoicing or shouts, typically associated with celebrations or dedications. For the Shechemites, this traditional celebration was inextricably linked with their worship of Baal-berith. Temples in this era often served as community centers, hosting large public festivals involving lavish eating, drinking, and revelry, often bordering on pagan excess. The Shechemites, a population with strong Canaanite influences, freely interwove their religious practices with their social events. Their act of publicly cursing a reigning king within their deity's temple was not merely an outburst; it was a defiant declaration of disloyalty, likely seeking divine sanction from Baal against Abimelech.

Judges 9 27 Word analysis

• "went out" (יצאו, yatza'u): A common verb denoting movement, indicating they left their usual dwellings to go to the vineyards.

• "fields" (שׂדה, sadeh): Refers to the open cultivated land, here specifically the grapevines, emphasizing the agricultural nature of their activity.

• "gathered" (בצרו, batsru): Specifically means "to harvest grapes" or "to vintage," highlighting the precise agricultural task they were engaged in. It is not a general word for gathering.

• "grapes" (כרמיהם, karmeyhem): Literally "their vineyards," denoting the produce from their personal grape cultivation. It identifies the fruit of their labor.

• "trod them" (וידרכו, vayidrekhu): Literally "they trod upon them." This describes the ancient method of pressing grapes by stomping on them in a winepress, a crucial step in wine production.

• "held a festival" (ויעשׂו הילולים, vayasoo hilulim):

  • vayasoo: "they made" or "they did," indicating the initiation of an activity.
  • hilulim (הילולים): A unique and significant term. Derived from the Hebrew root halal (הלל), meaning "to praise," "to shout for joy," or "to celebrate." While in Lev 19:24 it refers to the shouts of praise during the holy fruit dedication to the LORD, here it refers to a boisterous and celebratory pagan festival, likely involving loud acclamations of joy or dedication to their deity. It denotes a public, lively, and potentially sacred celebration.

• "went into" (ויבאו, vayavo'u): Standard verb for entering, signifying their movement from the fields to the temple.

• "house of their god" (בית אלהיהם, beit elohehem): Refers to the temple of Baal-berith (identified in Jdg 9:4). "Their god" underscores that their allegiance and worship were directed toward a pagan deity, distinct from Yahweh, the God of Israel. It marks the location as a religious center for their festivities and future defiance.

• "ate and drank" (ויאכלו וישׁתו, vayochlu vayiyshtu): A common biblical phrase signifying partaking in a meal or feast. In the context of a pagan festival, this implies extensive feasting and potential intoxication, contributing to unrestrained behavior and boldness. It connects to the ritual aspect of their idol worship.

• "cursed" (ויקללו, vayekallelu): A strong verb meaning "to revile," "to utter a curse," or "to speak evil against." It represents a deliberate, public, and strong denunciation, signifying their open rebellion and defiance against Abimelech.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "And they went out into the fields and gathered their grapes, and trod them": This phrase beautifully captures the rhythm of agrarian life, the shared labor of the community, and the process leading up to a time of celebration. It grounds the scene in the natural, seasonal activities of the time.
  • "and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank": This group reveals the interwoven nature of secular celebration and pagan religious practice. The grape harvest festival transitioned seamlessly into a feast within their temple, indicating their reliance on and devotion to Baal. The eating and drinking suggest widespread revelry, often leading to uninhibited behavior, a common feature of pagan festivals that could incite unrest.
  • "and cursed Abimelech": This is the culmination and pivotal action. The atmosphere of intoxication and pagan religious zeal within the temple emboldened them to publicly and openly revile Abimelech, the king they themselves had enthusiastically supported just three years earlier. This act of public denunciation signifies a complete and violent shift in their allegiance, directly initiating the conflict that fulfills Jotham's prophetic curse.

Judges 9 27 Bonus section

The "hilulim" (הילולים) in this verse, although referring to a pagan festival, shares its root with the Hebrew word for "praise." This linguistic connection implicitly underscores a theme often seen in Scripture: humanity's inherent need to praise and celebrate, which can be misdirected from the true God (Yahweh) towards false idols or temporal pleasures, leading to corrupt outcomes. The scene also serves as a potent illustration of divine retribution. The feasting and apparent joy of the Shechemites immediately precede their downfall, mirroring other biblical instances where a festive atmosphere gives way to judgment (e.g., Belshazzar's feast in Daniel 5). It serves as a stark reminder of the principle that trust in ungodly human schemes and false gods leads to bitter ends, contrasting sharply with the blessing and peace found in following God's appointed ways.

Judges 9 27 Commentary

Judges 9:27 portrays a turning point in the tragic narrative of Abimelech and the men of Shechem, setting in motion the judgment foretold by Jotham. The seemingly innocent act of a harvest festival rapidly degenerates into a public act of defiance rooted in excess and pagan worship. As the Shechemites, perhaps emboldened by their celebratory wine and the perceived protection of Baal-berith within his temple, begin to openly curse Abimelech, they unwittingly fulfill the initial conditions for their mutual destruction. This verse highlights the profound instability of leadership seized through violence rather than divine appointment and demonstrates how easily loyalty can fracture when rooted in self-interest rather than righteousness. Their actions reflect not only human fickleness but also the "evil spirit" sent by God to orchestrate divine justice. It illustrates how the consequences of sin—in this case, murder and disloyalty—inevitably unfold, even through the common acts of a society.