Judges 9 4

Judges 9:4 kjv

And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

Judges 9:4 nkjv

So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.

Judges 9:4 niv

They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.

Judges 9:4 esv

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.

Judges 9:4 nlt

They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him.

Judges 9 verses

Judges 9 4 Meaning

Judges 9:4 describes the initial steps of Abimelech's rise to power, revealing his character and the nature of his supporters. After securing the allegiance of Shechem through manipulative appeal, he received seventy pieces of silver from the treasury of "Baal-berith," a local idolatrous temple. With this illicit fund, Abimelech hired a company of disreputable, worthless, and volatile individuals who were willing to execute his ruthless agenda, which included the murder of his seventy half-brothers.

Judges 9 4 Context

Judges chapter 9 begins immediately after the death of Gideon, Israel's judge who had largely liberated the people from Midianite oppression. While Gideon famously refused to be king (Jdg 8:23), his life ended with a return to idolatry in Shechem, epitomized by the golden ephod he made (Jdg 8:27) and the subsequent worship of Baal-berith (Jdg 8:33). Abimelech, the son of Gideon by his concubine in Shechem, saw this vacuum of leadership and exploited it. He manipulated his mother's relatives in Shechem by claiming he was their "bone and flesh" and convincing them that it was better for one man to rule than seventy (Gideon's legitimate sons). This verse, Jdg 9:4, details how Abimelech secured the necessary resources and personnel to carry out his nefarious plot to eliminate his brothers and seize power. The source of the money and the type of men he hired set a tone of depravity and instability for the events that follow, laying the foundation for Jotham's subsequent oracle against Shechem and Abimelech.

Judges 9 4 Word analysis

• And they gave him (וַיִּתְּנוּ־לֹ֛ו - wayyittenū-lô): The "they" refers to the leaders or citizens of Shechem and Beth-Millo (as indicated by the preceding verses, Jdg 9:1-3). This shows their complicity in Abimelech's scheme. The act of giving highlights their active support, demonstrating their apostasy from Yahweh and allegiance to an idolatrous cult and a murderous aspirant to power.
• seventy pieces of silver (שִׁבְעִ֣ים כֶּ֑סֶף - shiv‘îm keseph): Silver (keseph) was a standard currency for payment and transactions in ancient Israel. The quantity, "seventy," is highly symbolic and ironic, as it directly corresponds to the seventy legitimate sons of Gideon whom Abimelech subsequently murdered. This forms a dark numerical parallel, hinting at a "blood money" payment for his upcoming atrocities. It underlines the perversion of justice and moral order in Shechem.
• out of the house of Baal-berith (מִבֵּ֥ית בַּ֙עַל בְּרִ֜ית - mibbêṯ ba‘al bərîṯ):
  • מִבֵּ֥ית (mibbêṯ): "From the house of," indicating a temple or cultic treasury. This signifies the source of funds as explicitly sacrilegious from a Yahwistic perspective.
  • בַּ֙עַל בְּרִ֜ית (Ba‘al Bərîṯ): "Baal of the Covenant" or "Lord of the Covenant." This was a specific Canaanite deity worshipped in Shechem. The name implies a deity believed to uphold oaths or agreements, which is ironically inverted as Abimelech's actions utterly disregard covenants and kinship. The use of this pagan temple's wealth for a bloody coup is a profound act of spiritual rebellion against Yahweh, especially since Gideon, Abimelech's father, had famously fought against Baal worship and was called Jerub-Baal ("let Baal contend with him").
• wherewith Abimelech hired (אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׂכַר־בָּהֶ֤ם אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ - ʾăšer sāḵar-bāhem ’ăḇîmeleḵ): "Hired" (sāḵar) denotes a transactional agreement, paying individuals for their service. This points to the mercenary nature of his actions. Abimelech lacked legitimate authority or a true following; his "army" was bought, not loyal. It shows a departure from traditional tribal levies and highlights a system based on power and wealth rather than divine appointment or communal consent.
• vain and light persons (אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ וּפֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים - ʾănāšîm rêqîm ūphōḥăzîm):
  • אֲנָשִׁ֤ים (ʾănāšîm): "Men," or "persons."
  • רֵקִים֙ (rêqîm): "Empty," "worthless," "idle," "unemployed." These were likely outcasts, those with nothing to lose, perhaps from the fringes of society or vagabonds, ready for any means to acquire substance or purpose, no matter how wicked.
  • וּפֹ֣חֲזִ֔ים (ūphōḥăzîm): "Light," "reckless," "profligate," "rash," "volatile." These individuals were morally bankrupt, impulsive, and untrustworthy, ready to engage in violent or unruly behavior without ethical consideration. The combination paints a picture of unscrupulous individuals suited for committing heinous acts.
• which followed him (וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אַחֲרָֽיו - wayyēlḵū ’aḥărâw): This simply states that these individuals became Abimelech's followers. It emphasizes their direct submission to his will, illustrating that the wicked found a willing leader in Abimelech, forming a company fit for bloodshed.

Words-group Analysis:

• seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith: This phrase links a significant, symbolic number of funds to a specific idolatrous temple, forming a profound statement about the deep apostasy of Shechem. It underscores how perverted worship financed murder and highlights the illicit foundation of Abimelech's power. It’s a polemic against the notion that pagan worship provides true stability or blessing; instead, it provides funds for destruction.
• hired vain and light persons: This phrase defines the kind of individuals Abimelech associated with and built his power upon. It reveals his inability or unwillingness to secure a legitimate, morally upright following. By hiring "worthless and reckless" individuals, Abimelech shows his true colors as a leader who does not rely on God or justice but on brute force and societal refuse, foreshadowing the violent nature of his brief reign.

Judges 9 4 Bonus section

The "house of Baal-berith" likely served as both a place of worship and a communal bank or repository of valuable items for the city of Shechem, indicative of the city's widespread apostasy and deep-seated devotion to this Canaanite deity. The term "Baal-berith," meaning "Lord of the Covenant," is itself a challenge to Yahweh as the true God of the covenant, and this incident proves that such "covenants" with pagan deities yield only violence and destruction. This narrative of Abimelech and Shechem sets up a potent theological commentary on the nature of ungodly leadership and its consequences, contrasting it implicitly with the ideal, God-ordained kingship yet to come in Israel. It underscores that attempting to gain power through unrighteous means, especially by relying on idols or associating with morally corrupt individuals, invariably leads to chaos and destruction. This episode thus becomes a case study in how human depravity, unchecked by true faith in God, can pervert leadership and bring ruin upon a community.

Judges 9 4 Commentary

Judges 9:4 is a critical verse that immediately establishes the depraved and illegitimate foundation of Abimelech’s brief kingship. It encapsulates the spiritual decay following Gideon's death and previews the turmoil that will plague Shechem and Abimelech. The decision of the people of Shechem to fund Abimelech's ambition directly from the temple treasury of Baal-berith is deeply significant. It shows their profound departure from Yahwism and their full embrace of idolatry, linking political maneuvering with spiritual rebellion. This act is an abomination in the eyes of God, representing a prostitution of religious resources for an ungodly purpose—the murder of the rightful heirs of Gideon.

The use of "seventy pieces of silver" serves as a grim foreshadowing, directly correlating to the seventy sons of Gideon whom Abimelech would then slay, highlighting the tragic irony of "blood money" paving the path for fratricide. Abimelech, lacking a legitimate claim to authority or a popular groundswell of support, resorted to hiring "vain and light persons." These individuals, described as idle, morally bankrupt, and impulsive, were perfectly suited for the dark tasks ahead. They represent the kind of corrupt elements necessary to execute Abimelech's brutal agenda, devoid of any loyalty beyond payment. This mercenary aspect demonstrates that Abimelech's reign was built on deceit, idolatry, and violence, rather than on divine blessing or true covenant, thus ensuring its inevitable collapse. The verse stands as a stark warning: foundations built on wickedness and partnership with ungodly forces are inherently unstable and destined for divine judgment.