Judges 9 57

Judges 9:57 kjv

And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Judges 9:57 nkjv

And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Judges 9:57 niv

God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.

Judges 9:57 esv

And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Judges 9:57 nlt

God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled.

Judges 9 verses

Judges 9 57 Meaning

Judges 9:57 signifies the conclusive fulfillment of divine justice for the wicked acts committed by Abimelech and the men of Shechem. It explicitly states that God Himself brought the full consequences of their evil deeds upon them. Specifically, Abimelech bore the weight of the curse spoken by Jotham, Gideon's only surviving son, thereby confirming that God upholds His warnings and executes righteous judgment on those who engage in violence, betrayal, and ungodly power grabs.

Judges 9 57 Context

Judges 9:57 provides the theological and moral conclusion to the tragic narrative of Abimelech's attempt to establish himself as king. Abimelech, the son of Gideon (Jerubbaal) by a concubine, ruthlessly murdered 70 of his brothers on one stone to seize power in Shechem, leaving only Jotham, the youngest, alive. The men of Shechem aided and proclaimed Abimelech as their king, a deeply flawed human kingship devoid of divine anointing and steeped in bloodshed, funded even by the temple of Baal-Berith (Judges 9:4). Jotham, hidden on Mount Gerizim, pronounced a vivid parable (Judges 9:7-15) and a curse (Judges 9:16-20) upon both Abimelech and the men of Shechem, predicting that "fire will come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem" and "fire will come out from the men of Shechem and consume Abimelech." Verse 57 summarises the ultimate fulfillment of this curse, highlighting God's direct involvement in orchestrating the justice and ruin that fell upon both parties due to their respective evils and betrayals, culminating in their mutual destruction.

Judges 9 57 Word analysis

• And all the evil (וְאֵת כָּל־רָעַת - v'et kol-ra'at):

  • "Evil" (רָעָה - ra'ah): This term goes beyond mere misfortune; it denotes moral depravity, wickedness, violence, and malicious intent. It specifically refers to Abimelech's slaughter of his seventy brothers and the men of Shechem's complicity in aiding and elevating a murderer.
  • "All": Emphasizes the totality and comprehensiveness of their wickedness, indicating that no aspect of their sin was overlooked.

• of the men of Shechem:

  • Refers to the inhabitants of the city who conspired with Abimelech, supplied him with resources from the temple of Baal-Berith, and proclaimed him king. Their culpability in the bloodshed and the ensuing instability is directly highlighted.

• did God render (הֵשִׁיב אֱלֹהִים - heshiv Elohim):

  • "Did God render" (הֵשִׁיב - heshiv): Means "to return," "to pay back," "to repay," or "to recompense." This active verb underlines divine causality – it was God Himself who orchestrated the retribution, not merely natural consequences or fate.
  • "God" (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): The generic name for God, here affirming Him as the sovereign judge over human affairs. This indicates a direct act of divine justice and fulfillment of His moral order.

• upon their heads:

  • A common Hebrew idiom signifying that the consequences directly afflict the perpetrators personally. It emphasizes personal responsibility and that the retribution falls precisely on those who committed the evil. This idiom implies just recompense.

• and upon Abimelech:

  • Singularly specifies the chief antagonist, Abimelech, as bearing direct accountability. While sharing the "evil" from God, a specific curse also fell on him.

• came the curse (קְלָלַת - qelalat):

  • "Came": Indicates the direct and inevitable fulfillment or manifestation of the curse.
  • "Curse" (קְלָלַת - qelalat): Refers specifically to the prophetic judgment spoken by Jotham in Judges 9:20. A curse, in the biblical sense, is a divine pronouncement of severe consequences, not a mere verbal insult.

• of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal:

  • "Jotham": The lone survivor of Abimelech's massacre and the prophet who declared the curse, acting as God's spokesman. His identity highlights the justice for Gideon's murdered lineage.
  • "Jerubbaal" (יְרֻבַּעַל - Yeruba'al): Gideon's alternative name, meaning "let Baal contend with him." The inclusion here is ironic, given that the men of Shechem involved Baal-Berith in Abimelech's rise, yet it was God who ultimately contended against their evil.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads": This phrase directly links the totality of the Shechemite's wickedness and complicity to the divine repayment that befell them. God’s act of "rendering" highlights His active role in judgment and His commitment to justice, demonstrating that their involvement in supporting Abimelech and his initial crimes did not go unpunished. It encapsulates the principle of just retribution.
• "and upon Abimelech came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal": This phrase pinpoints Abimelech's fate as a specific fulfillment of Jotham's curse, drawing a clear line from prophetic pronouncement to divine execution. It underscores God's sovereignty over events and His faithfulness to His word, even through human agents. The "curse of Jotham" embodies the consequences for treachery and unwarranted kingship that defied God's order.

Judges 9 57 Bonus section

The narrative arc of Judges 9, concluding with verse 57, can be understood as an early warning against ill-conceived human kingship outside of divine direction. Abimelech's "rule" was born of violence and maintained through tyranny, fundamentally differing from the divinely appointed judges or later, truly righteous kings. This story serves as a cautionary tale, hinting at the potential dangers and complexities associated with the request for a king in Israel, which eventually occurred in 1 Samuel. Furthermore, the reliance on Baal-Berith by the men of Shechem, evidenced by the money from the idol's temple (Judges 9:4) and the ultimate destruction of the very tower and place sacred to this false god (Judges 9:46-49, 53), subtly demonstrates God's victory over pagan deities and practices that intertwine with the moral failures of His people. The verse therefore is not just about the individuals' evil, but also implicates the ungodly influences and alliances that permeated their actions.

Judges 9 57 Commentary

Judges 9:57 serves as the powerful concluding statement to the dark saga of Abimelech, solidifying the narrative's central theological message: God's justice is unwavering and precise. It shows that both Abimelech's ambition and the Shechemites' opportunistic support were grievous evils that did not escape divine accountability. The phrase "did God render upon their heads" emphatically declares God as the ultimate orchestrator of their downfall, transforming what might appear as a chain of human-initiated events (treachery, conflict) into an expression of divine judgment. The mention of Jotham's curse emphasizes the fulfillment of prophetic warning, assuring that God's spoken word, through His servant, finds its inevitable completion. This verse stands as a stark biblical testament to the principle that "whatever one sows, that will he also reap," vividly illustrating the ruinous consequences of pride, murder, and faithlessness. It underscores the profound truth that God observes human actions and brings fitting retribution to evil, whether through direct intervention or by allowing wicked deeds to consume their perpetrators.