Judges Chapter 9 Part Two (Verse 1)

A. Abimelech's rise to power

1. (Judges 9:1-3) Abimelech forces his brothers to submit to him
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and spoke to them and to the whole clan of the household of his mother's father, saying, "Speak, now, in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?' Also, remember that I am your bone and your flesh." And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the leaders of Shechem; and they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our relative."

The brief and ill-fated story of Abimelech is the subject of Judges chapter 9. One key thing to know is Abimelech was NOT a Judge. In fact, some wonder why this episode is even included in the Book of Judges. The story is somewhat of an antithesis of the previous three chapters. Gideon was a man raised up by God to be a Judge, and then he served the LORD in order to deliver his people from oppression. Contrast this with Abimelech, who was born into privilege, appointed himself as a leader of God's people and then served only his own personal lust for power in order to oppress his people. If that was not bad enough, Abimelech was Gideon's son.

The account of Abimelech makes it clear that his mother was his father's concubine. This is in opposition to the large number of legal wives Gideon married. A concubine was not a personal prostitute nor was she a slave. She did hold a somewhat lesser status in the household than a legal wife who was married under a chuppah (a tradition wedding canopy) and was supported by the legality of a ketubah (a marriage document).

But one needs to ask the question: why did Gideon have many legal wives, and yet he had this one unnamed woman as a concubine? While I cannot be 100% sure, I think the reason is self-evident. The legal wives were Hebrew women, and thus they were legally entitled to a formal marriage ceremony and to a marriage certificate. Abimelech's mother was NOT a Hebrew. She was a Canaanite of Shechem (and very likely a Hivite). Thus, Abimelech was born into a divided loyalty. He was part Hebrew and part Canaanite. Now this would not have been all the unusual if it were not for the fact that his father was the supreme leader of Israel and self-appointed High Priest.

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives, and spoke to them: We see in the first verse of this chapter that Abimelech must have been constantly at odds with his Hebrew siblings (all born to other mothers). Abimelech also seems to have had a propensity to identify more with his Canaanite family side than his Israelite side. This should not be hard for us to imagine. I have seen this exact same dynamic in my own extended family and have witnessed it in countless others. I am sure many of you have a good understanding of this rather typical family challenge of divided loyalties and tendencies to build alliances and closer relationships with one part of the family as opposed to the other. It usually happens quite naturally and not from any kind of plan or overt intent.

We also witnessed this kind of thing with Moses who was adopted as an infant by an Egyptian woman. Moses could never quite fit in with his Egyptian family. He found himself in constant internal turmoil as he daily saw the injustice upon his biological family and people.

Abimelech, wanting to achieve his ambitions, went to the city of his mother's origin (Shechem) and solicited support from her brothers and her father.

Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you: The proposition Gideon states in verse two is choose me to rule over you or you will be subject to 70 men (Gideon's sons) ruling over you. Inherent in this conversation is that Abimelech was part Canaanite as opposed to any of his brothers. And it was understood in these tribal cultures that blood mattered. The family of the leader would have advantages. Since it is taken for granted that the 70 sons of Gideon were Hebrews, they, on the other hand, would be more inclined to show favor for their Israelite brethren over and above the Canaanites who lived among the.

They were inclined to follow Abimelech: We are told that this seemed to make sense to his mother's family. They took Abimelech's proposal to the other residents of Shecehm and campaigned for it.

A brief interlude about Shechem
Shechem was a mixed city. It consisted of Canaanites and Hebrews living side by side. You can imagine there also were many intermarriages. In fact, it was mostly a Hebrew city, and it was generally under Israelite control. It is not hard to understand why Abimelech's mother's family would see this as an opportunity to have as its governor someone who is at least most sympathetic to the Canaanites due to a Canaanite heritage.

Yet, there was more to this than meets the eye. Shechem was a strategically important city. It lays at a crossroads of major trade routes that wove through the area. Shechem was also well situated in a very fertile valley. And equally important was that Shechem was central in Israel's heritage and history. It was both a place of spiritual and cultural importance to the Israelites.

Shechem translated into English means shoulder. The city was located in a valley between two mountain peaks--Mount Ebal and Mouth Gerizim.

Ancient Shechem is where Abram is first mentioned in the Promised Land. "Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your offspring I will give this land'" (Genesis 12:6-7).

Centuries later, as Moses is giving his last oration as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, Moses tells the people about the blessings and curses which will come upon them.

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, by turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

It shall come about, when the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. Are they not across the Jordan, west of the way toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall possess it and live in it, and you shall be careful to do all the statues and the judgment which I am setting before you today" (Deuteronomy 11:26-32).

In fulfillment of the LORD'S promise to Abraham and to renew the covenant of the Law of Moses, we see Joshua and the Israelites gathered at Shechem. "Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal" (Joshua 8:30). Six tribes stood just south of Shechem in front of Mount Gerizim. The other six tribes stood to the north of Shechem in front of Mount Ebal. That day the Israelites listened as Joshua "...read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law" (Joshua 8:34).

Israel would gather at Shechem again at a later time and listened to Joshua remind them of their history and of God's faithfulness. He implored them to remain faithful to the LORD. Passionately, they responded, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods..." (Joshua 24:16)

What was Joshua's reply to them? "Joshua said to the people, 'You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sin. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you" (Joshua 24:19-20).

Fourteen hundred years later, an offspring of Abraham and namesake of Joshua (Joshua is the English translation of Yehoshua. Jesus is the English translation of the Greek of the Hebrew Yeshua, a shortened form of Yehoshua.) journeyed through this area where he stopped at a well for a drink of water. He also had a conversation with a Samaritan woman from Sychar. At the time of their conversation in the first century A.D., ancient Shechem lay in ruins. Joshua had been right. The sinful Israelites had broken the covenant of the LORD.

The woman at the well, Jacob's well, was a Samaritan. Samaritans were a people of mixed ethnicity. Israelites intermingled with the gentiles. Additionally, Torah was mixed with the pagan religions. As a result, the Samaritan woman knew of the expected coming of Messiah. "The woman said, 'I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.' Then Jesus declared, 'I, the one speaking to you--I am He'" (John 4:25-26).