Judges 9:4

Read in context

Judges 9:2–6 · Berean Standard Bible

2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

3 And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”

4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

5 He went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.

6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.

Hebrew words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Study Judges 9:4

Read the commentary on Judges 9

Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Judges 9:46

On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.

Judges 9:47

And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,

Judges 9:48

he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”

Judges 9:49

So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

Judges 8:33

And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.

Judges 11:3

So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where worthless men gathered around him and traveled with him.

1 Samuel 22:2

And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

2 Chronicles 13:7

Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

Job 30:8

A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.

Proverbs 12:11

The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.

Acts 17:5

The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.