1 Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, 2 “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.” 3 When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.”
From Judges 8 we learned that Abimelek is the son of Gideon (Jerub-Baal, 8:35), and is not the successor to Gideon’s kingship. In fact, Gideon isn’t really a king. He acts like one (rules over Israel, has a harem (including concubines), and has mysteriously set up a religious system that has pulled Israel away from God. From one of those concubines a son is born, Abimelek, whose name means “My father, a king.” Even if there was a monarchy based on succession, Abimelek would not be the successor. There are 69 legitimate sons in line for the alleged throne. Of them, Abimelek is the only illegitimate heir to the “throne”.
But none of that stops Abimelek. He goes back to his hometown (Shechem) and rallies for their support. He gets the support of his mother’s side of the family.
4 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. 5 He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. 6 Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
Long before Saul becomes the first official king of Israel, Abimelek has his eyes on what he views as king. We see his bloodthirsty ambition here. Let’s look at the trajectory of his plan.
1. He acquires payment from the people: The people gathered behind Abimelek take up a collection to help aid his ambition. But where is the money gathered from? The temple of Baal-Berith! If we had any notion that Abimelek’s plan was noble, we see that idea crashing down right away. The funds to bankroll his mission are derived from a Baal temple, which is obviously in opposition to God. 2. He uses the money to hire scoundrels who became his followers: Abimelek’s followers are hired thugs. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says it best: Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” If Abimelek’s cause was noble, there would be a noble following. Good people would understand and join. 3. He uses the resources he has to murder his brothers: Whether the 69 remaining brothers is symbolic or literal, the concept is clear: Abimelek murders them all in order to abscond the throne. He uses a crude implement as well: a stone. He must get up close and bludgeon each one of them. This is not a disconnected murder but a very personal one, over and over.
He kills all his bothers but one, and returns to Shechem where he is crowned king. But is he really king? Shechem is the place Saul is also crowned king and is located in the territory of Ephraim. In Judges 8, we learned that Gideon always had an issue with Ephraim. First, because he didn’t allow them into the fight with the Midianites until after the bulk of the battle was fought, and secondly set up an ephod perhaps in defiance of the tabernacle in Shiloh.
7 When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ 9 “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’ 10 “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’ 11 “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’ 12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’ 13 “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’ 14 “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’ 15 “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
Jotham, the only surviving legitimate son of Gideon, climbs to the top of Mount Gerizim (Deuteronomy 11:29, 27:12, Joshua 8:33) and issues a rebuke to the people of Shechem. He does it through a parable on this great mountain, which was a site in the Old Testament of where God pronounced blessings on the obedient.
The olive tree, the fig tree, the vines: The parable told by Jotham is to help the people understand the problem of Abimelek. First, Olive and fig trees and the vines were of great value in the Middle east. Their value as “king” would be of great benefit to the people. But as the line of succession dwindles, the people are left with the thorn bush (bramble). Bramble is a useless resource, not good for wood and was invasive. It was something cut away and burned rather than harvested. Since the people chose to shade themselves by the bramble, the bramble would lash out at those who did not agree with it (consume the cedars of Lebanon). The bramble (Abimelek) will be a weak and destructive leader and will take all those who follow down a rabbit hole to their ruin.
16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? 17 Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. 18 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. 19 So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! 20 But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!” 21 Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.
Jotham calls out Abimelek’s followers in a profound way.
1.He asks them if they have acted honorably: This is the best way Jotham could approach this sensitive issue - by going right to the heart of the matter. The people of Shechem can’t say definitively that they have. They have taken money from the Ball Berith temple, they have allowed that money to be put in the hand of scoundrels, they are complicit in the murders of Abimelek’s brothers and have blessed the actions of Abimelek by crowning him “king”.
2. Jotham asks them to remember Gideon’s legacy: The minds of Shechem’s people are clouded. They have forgotten Gideon’s accomplishments, much in the same way that Israel wanders away from God once the Judge is gone. If there is honor among them, where is it in relation to Gideon?
3. Jotham reminds them of the cold, hard facts: They have revolted against Gideon and his family. They have murdered the sons of Gideon. They crowned Abimelek king because he is related to them.
4. Do you accept the terms or not?: If you’ve acted rightly in this, then good. If you haven’t then there is a great judgment leveled against you.
22 After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, 23 God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. 24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. 25 In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek.
We see that the people of Shechem have made their choice. Jotham’s plea to them does not hit its mark and Abimelek reigns as king for three years. As is God’s custom, he allows the free will choice of the good along with the bad, and Abimelek is given a time of peaceful governance. 3 is also important. In scripture, 3 is associated with wholeness, completeness or perfection. 3 here is used to highlight the period in which God allowed Abimelek to reign unfetered. Perhaps he would turn back to God, be a good ruler, sustain Israel instead of destroy it. Instead, God sends a “spirit of ill will” (KJV).
Because the leadership was corrupt from the beginning, this leadership spawns terrible behavior in the people under Abimelek’s rule. In 9:41 we will learn of the extent of Abimelek’s kingdom, which are the towns of Arumah, Thebez, Beth-Milo and Shechem. There is treachery, robbery, a feeling of anarchy in the small-scale rule of this “king.”
26 Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. 27 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. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek? 29 If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’
The division in the city continues, and the people back a man named Gaal. He calls into question the very authority of Abimelek. They throw a lavish festival where Abimelek is openly cursed and called into question. The bravado of the people grows.
30 When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. 31 Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. 32 Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. 33 In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.” 34 So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. 35 Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place. 36 When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.” 37 But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill, and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!” 39 So Gaal led out the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. 40 Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. 41 Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem.
In this brief battle we see Abimelek push back the uprising. Gaal is deceived by Zabul and Abimelek gets the jump on him and drives him out of Shechem.
42 The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. 43 So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. 44 Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. 45 All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.
As a tyrant does, Abimelek lashes out in a new and destructive way. With the opposition subdued, he turns his anger on the people. He strikes down people in the field, whether directly involved in the uprising or not involved at all in it, and stirs up a whirlwind of destruction and chaos, destroying the city as well.
Abimelek’s actions are not the first and certainly not the last. In the Book of Daniel, one of his visions deals with a man named Antiochus IV, who was a Tyrannical Grecian leader. His appointment was in Syria and ultimately the Holy Land. Upon a failed attempt to invade Egypt, Antiochus IV turned his rage to Israel. He persecuted and killed them and defiled the holy temple. He is often referred to as the blueprint for the AntiChrist, the future leader who will do the same thing.
46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47 When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.
Here we see something truly cruel from Abimelek. Abimelek burns fleeing people inside the tower of Shechem. It is important to note that this act is solely on his shoulders. He is out of control and completely tyrannical, and his example is followed by his troops. Jotham warned about this earlier (Judges 9:19-20).
50 Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. 54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.
Abimelek’s confidence is high when he hears of another tower filled with frightened people. But there is a surprise for him. It comes from a woman who drops a millstone on him. The end for this proud “king” is a woman (considered lowly) and a millstone (grinding grain was considered a lowly function).
Proud to the end, Abimelek would rather be killed by his armor bearer rather than a lowly woman. It shows Abimelek’s pride and that there is no repentance in him, no sense of regret, no sense of evolution of spirit. He simply wants to die with dignity.
56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.
God is in charge. God allowed the treachery of Abimelek to occur and thus his justice. We may ask why God would allow such horror in the world. All of the horror of this story rests in the decisions made by both Abimelek and the people of Shechem. Abimelek, at any time, could have prayed to God to blunt his pride, turn him in another direction, but Abimelek only saw one course. The people around him applauded and supported him in it. 2 Timothy 4:3 says it well: For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.