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. They gave himThis phrase indicates an act of provision and support. The "they" refers to the leaders of Shechem, who are complicit in Abimelech's rise to power. This act of giving signifies a transfer of resources and allegiance, highlighting the communal involvement in Abimelech's schemes. In a broader biblical context, giving often reflects the heart's alignment, whether towards God or towards idolatry and self-interest. seventy shekels of silver
The specific amount of "seventy shekels" is significant, as it reflects a substantial sum, indicating the seriousness of the transaction. In ancient times, silver was a common medium of exchange, and the use of "seventy" may symbolize completeness or fullness in Hebrew numerology. This financial backing underscores the weight of the conspiracy and the depth of corruption, as resources meant for worship are diverted for personal ambition. from the temple of Baal-berith
"Baal-berith" means "Lord of the Covenant," a Canaanite deity worshiped in Shechem. The use of temple funds for Abimelech's purposes highlights the syncretism and spiritual apostasy prevalent in Israel at the time. This act of taking sacred funds for political machinations illustrates the moral decay and the blending of pagan practices with Israelite culture, a recurring theme in the Book of Judges. and Abimelech used it
Abimelech's use of the funds demonstrates his agency and ambition. His actions are deliberate and calculated, reflecting a desire for power at any cost. This phrase underscores the personal responsibility and moral choices that define Abimelech's character, serving as a cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of power and wealth. to hire worthless and reckless men
The description of the men as "worthless and reckless" (Hebrew: "reka" and "pachaz") conveys their lack of moral integrity and their propensity for violence. These men are not just idle or unemployed; they are morally bankrupt and dangerous. This choice of companions reveals Abimelech's willingness to align with those who share his disregard for righteousness, further illustrating the theme of moral decline. who followed him
The phrase "who followed him" indicates loyalty and allegiance, albeit to a corrupt leader. This following is not based on noble ideals but on shared depravity and ambition. It serves as a reminder of the power of influence and the ease with which people can be led astray when they lack a firm foundation in godly principles. This following also foreshadows the destructive path that Abimelech and his followers will tread, emphasizing the consequences of aligning with unrighteousness. Persons / Places / Events 1. AbimelechThe son of Gideon (also known as Jerubbaal) and a concubine from Shechem. He sought power and authority, ultimately becoming a self-appointed king. 2. ShechemAn ancient city in the hill country of Ephraim, significant in Israel's history. It was a place of covenant renewal and later became a center of idolatry. 3. Baal-berithA Canaanite deity whose temple in Shechem provided the funds for Abimelech's rise to power. The name means "Lord of the Covenant," indicating a syncretism between Canaanite and Israelite practices. 4. Worthless and Reckless MenIndividuals hired by Abimelech to support his claim to leadership. The Hebrew term used here, (reqim u-phochazim), implies men of low character and instability. 5. Seventy Shekels of SilverThe amount of money given to Abimelech, symbolizing the corrupt use of resources dedicated to idolatry for personal gain. Teaching Points The Dangers of IdolatryThe funds from the temple of Baal-berith illustrate how idolatry can corrupt and lead to destructive leadership. The Consequences of AmbitionAbimelech's ambition led him to murder and tyranny, showing the dangers of seeking power without God's guidance. Choosing Companions WiselyThe "worthless and reckless men" highlight the importance of surrounding oneself with godly influences rather than those who lead us astray. The Cost of CompromiseAbimelech's actions demonstrate how compromising with sin and idolatry can have far-reaching negative effects. God's Sovereignty in LeadershipDespite human attempts to control leadership, God remains sovereign and will ultimately judge unrighteous rulers. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the account of Abimelech in Judges 9:4 illustrate the dangers of idolatry and its impact on leadership? 2. In what ways can ambition, like that of Abimelech, lead to destructive outcomes in our personal lives and communities? 3. Reflect on the type of people you surround yourself with. How can Proverbs 6:12-19 guide you in choosing godly companions? 4. What are some modern-day "idols" that might tempt us to compromise our faith, and how can we guard against them? 5. How does the account of Abimelech challenge us to trust in God's sovereignty over human leadership, and what steps can we take to align our desires with His will? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 8:33-35Provides context for the spiritual decline in Israel after Gideon's death, leading to the rise of Abimelech. 1 Samuel 8:10-18Offers a parallel in Israel's history where the desire for a king led to negative consequences, highlighting the dangers of rejecting God's leadership. Proverbs 6:12-19Describes the characteristics of worthless and wicked people, similar to those Abimelech hired. Hosea 8:4Discusses the consequences of setting up leaders without God's approval, reflecting Abimelech's illegitimate rule. | Ambitious Usurpation | A.F. Muir | Judges 9:1-6 | | Abimelech, the Adventurer | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Ambition Destroys the Finer Feelings of Men | H. E. Channing. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Bramble Rule; Or, the People and Their Leaders | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Forms of Usefulness in Life | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Parable | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | King Bramble and His Subjects | A. F. Vedder. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Misleading Self-Judgments | A. Rowland, B. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Pulpit Brambles | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Self-Fulfilment | E. G. Murphy. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Bramble | H. Whittaker. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Election of the Usurper to be King | J. P. Millar. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Faithful Olive-Tree | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of Jotham | A London Minister | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | J. Bayley, Ph. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Refusing of Leadership | W. Morison, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 |
People Abimelech, Ebed, Gaal, Hamor, Jerubbaal, Jotham, Ophrah, Zalmon, ZebulPlaces Arumah, Beer, Beth-millo, Diviners' Oak, Lebanon, Midian, Mount Gerizim, Mount Zalmon, Ophrah, Shechem, Thebez, Tower of ShechemTopics Abimelech, Abim'elech, Adventurers, Baal, Baalberith, Baal-berith, Ba'al-be'rith, Berith, Fellows, Followed, Followers, Good-for-nothing, Got, Hire, Hired, Hireth, Persons, Pieces, Reckless, Seventy, Shekels, Silver, Silverings, Support, Temple, Ten, Threescore, Uncontrolled, Unstable, Vain, Wherewith, WorthlessDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 9:4 4363 silver
5260 coinage
5337 hiring Judges 9:1-6 5040 murder
5661 brothers Judges 9:1-21 5356 irony Library Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. Scripture relates that God sometimes complied with certain prayers which had been dictated by minds not duly calmed or regulated. It is true, that the cause for which Jotham imprecated on the inhabitants of Shechem the disaster which afterwards befell them was well founded; but still he was inflamed with anger and revenge (Judges 9:20); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervour …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of FaithTrials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Hence is Also that which Thou Hast Mentioned that they Speak Of...
28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples; and upon their drawing near to the village whither they were going, He made as though He would have gone farther: where the Evangelist, saying, "But He Himself feigned that He would go further," [2435] hath put that very word in which liars too greatly delight, that they may with impunity lie: as if every thing that is feigned is a lie, whereas in a truthful …
St. Augustine—Against Lying The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God, …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 9:4 NIVJudges 9:4 NLTJudges 9:4 ESVJudges 9:4 NASBJudges 9:4 KJV
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