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Selected Verse: Judges 9:22 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Jud 9:22 |
Strong Concordance |
When Abimelech [040] had reigned [07786] three [07969] years [08141] over Israel [03478], |
| |
King James |
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
GAAL'S CONSPIRACY. (Jdg. 9:22-49)
When Abimelech had reigned three years--His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| Had reigned - Rather, "had ruled." It is not the phrase used in Jdg 9:6. It looks as if the Shechemites alone had made him king, and the rest of Israel had submitted to his dominion, without allowing his title of king. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Abimelech's reign lasted three years. ויּשׂר, from שׂוּר to govern, is used intentionally, as it appears, in the place of ויּמלך, because Abimelech's government was not a monarchical reign, but simply a tyrannical despotism. "Over Israel," that is to say, not over the whole of the twelve tribes of Israel, but only over a portion of the nation, possibly the tribes of Ephraim and half Manasseh, which acknowledged his sway.
Jdg 9:23-24
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, so that they became treacherous towards him. "An evil spirit" is not merely "an evil disposition," but an evil demon, which produced discord and strife, just as an evil spirit came upon Saul (Sa1 16:14-15; Sa1 18:10); not Satan himself, but a supernatural spiritual power which was under his influence. This evil spirit God sent to punish the wickedness of Abimelech and the Shechemites. Elohim, not Jehovah, because the working of the divine justice is referred to here. "That the wickedness to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood (the blood of these sons that had been shed), to lay it upon Abimelech. " "And their blood" is only a more precise definition of "the wickedness to the seventy sons;" and "to lay it" is an explanation of the expression "might come." The introduction of לשׂוּם, however, brings an anakolouthon into the construction, since the transitive שׂוּם presupposes Elohim as the subject and דּמם as the object, whereas the parallel חמס is the subject to the intransitive לבוא: that the wickedness might come, and that God might lay the blood not only upon Abimelech, the author of the crime, but also upon the lords of Shechem, who had strengthened his hands to slay his brethren; had supported him by money, that he might be able to hire worthless fellows to execute his crime (Jdg 9:4, Jdg 9:5). |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Over Israel - For though the men of Shechem were the first authors of Abimelech's advancement, the rest of the people easily consented to that form of government which they so much desired. |
6 And all the men [01167] of Shechem [07927] gathered together [0622], and all the house [01004] of Millo [04407] [01037], and went [03212], and made [04427] Abimelech [040] king [04428], by the plain [0436] of the pillar [05324] that was in Shechem [07927].
5 And he went [0935] unto his father's [01] house [01004] at Ophrah [06084], and slew [02026] his brethren [0251] the sons [01121] of Jerubbaal [03378], being threescore and ten [07657] persons [0376], upon one [0259] stone [068]: notwithstanding yet Jotham [03147] the youngest [06996] son [01121] of Jerubbaal [03378] was left [03498]; for he hid [02244] himself.
4 And they gave [05414] him threescore and ten [07657] pieces of silver [03701] out of the house [01004] of Baalberith [01170], wherewith Abimelech [040] hired [07936] vain [07386] and light [06348] persons [0582], which followed [03212] him [0310].
10 And it came to pass on the morrow [04283], that the evil [07451] spirit [07307] from God [0430] came [06743] upon Saul [07586], and he prophesied [05012] in the midst [08432] of the house [01004]: and David [01732] played [05059] with his hand [03027], as at other times [03117]: and there was a javelin [02595] in Saul's [07586] hand [03027].
14 But the Spirit [07307] of the LORD [03068] departed [05493] from Saul [07586], and an evil [07451] spirit [07307] from the LORD [03068] troubled [01204] him.
15 And Saul's [07586] servants [05650] said [0559] unto him, Behold now, an evil [07451] spirit [07307] from God [0430] troubleth [01204] thee.
23 Then God [0430] sent [07971] an evil [07451] spirit [07307] between Abimelech [040] and the men [01167] of Shechem [07927]; and the men [01167] of Shechem [07927] dealt treacherously [0898] with Abimelech [040]:
24 That the cruelty [02555] done to the threescore and ten [07657] sons [01121] of Jerubbaal [03378] might come [0935], and their blood [01818] be laid [07760] upon Abimelech [040] their brother [0251], which slew [02026] them; and upon the men [01167] of Shechem [07927], which aided [02388] [03027] him in the killing [02026] of his brethren [0251].