Judges 9:56-57
Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this as just God "paying back" Abimelech for murder. But the text specifically highlights that Abimelech's wickedness was "against his father" too, emphasizing the profound violation of family and lineage he committed. This wasn't just a blood crime, but a deep betrayal that God's justice addresses.
This verse concludes the tragic story of Abimelech, who brutally murdered his seventy brothers to seize power. After his own violent end in Thebez, the biblical writer reflects on how God justly repaid Abimelech for his wickedness, particularly his betrayal of his father's family by slaughtering his kin. This swift divine retribution serves as a stark reminder that even wicked rulers and treacherous people will ultimately face God's judgment.
Have you ever seen evil seem to triumph, leaving you wondering if there's any real justice in the world? This verse offers a profound answer.
The history of Abimelech is a stark reminder that God is not a distant observer. When wicked acts occur, especially those as horrific as Abimelech's slaughter of his brothers, it's not by chance that consequences follow.
The Sovereign Hand
This passage emphasizes that God actively 'rendered' or repaid the wickedness. This isn't about fate or impersonal cosmic forces; it's about the deliberate justice of a holy God. He ensures that actions have repercussions, particularly those that defy His commands and violate fundamental human relationships.
Instruments of Judgment
Interestingly, God often uses human actions and even the wicked themselves as instruments of His justice. Abimelech and the men of Shechem, who had colluded in his rise to power, ultimately became the agents of each other's downfall. This shows God's ultimate control, even over the most chaotic and sinful human endeavors.
Abimelech's crime wasn't just any murder; it was deeply personal and family-shattering. Why does the text highlight this specific aspect?
The writer specifically calls out Abimelech's wickedness as something 'which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren.' This isn't just a factual detail; it carries immense moral weight.
Undoing His Father's Legacy
By murdering his brothers—the sons of Gideon (his father)—Abimelech didn't just destroy lives. He actively sought to obliterate his father's lineage and legacy. This was a profound act of defiance not only against his brothers but also against the man who fathered him, bringing immense dishonor and pain.
A Violation of Divine Order
Scripture consistently upholds the sanctity of family and respect for parents. Abimelech's actions represent a horrific violation of this divine order. Killing his brothers was an extreme betrayal, turning family ties into instruments of death and destruction. The text underscores that such deep relational sin does not escape God's notice or His righteous judgment.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
An act of moral wrongness, wickedness, or injury that stands in opposition to the character and commands of God. It often carries the consequence of divine judgment or retribution.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun
The sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe who is just, holy, and the ultimate judge of all human actions. In this context, He acts as the executor of divine justice.
harag · Hebrew Verb
The act of causing death, specifically used here to describe the violent, unlawful, or intentional taking of a human life. In Scripture, murder is a violation of the sanctity of life established by God.
'ararah · Hebrew Noun
A solemn declaration of divine judgment or condemnation, often invoked against someone who has committed a grave transgression. It represents the reversal of blessing and the imposition of calamity.
This verse highlights that even in human struggles for power and acts of violence, God's justice is at work, ensuring that wicked deeds have consequences, as seen in the swift and fitting end of Abimelech.
c. 1117 BC
Gideon's death and Abimelech's rise
After Gideon's death, his son Abimelech, born to a concubine, sought power. He convinced the men of Shechem to make him ruler, turning against his many half-brothers.
c. 1117 BC— this verse
Abimelech massacres his brothers
Abimelech, with the support of the men of Shechem, ruthlessly killed all seventy of his half-brothers on a single stone, sparing only Jotham, who then cursed him.
c. 1114 BC
Shechem rebels against Abimelech
After three years of Abimelech's oppressive rule, the people of Shechem revolted. Abimelech crushed the rebellion and destroyed the city, sowing it with salt.
c. 1114 BC
Abimelech attacks Thebez
Seeking to consolidate his power, Abimelech marched on the city of Thebez. He successfully captured the city's stronghold.
This passage highlights Ham's sin against his father Noah, showing an early biblical example of the serious offense of disrespecting or harming one's father, which Abimelech also committed in a more extreme way against his own father Gideon.
Matthew 15:4Jesus quotes the commandment to honor parents, showing that disrespect or harm to parents is a violation of God's law, amplifying Abimelech's sin against his father Gideon.
Proverbs 11:31This verse states that the righteous are recompensed on the earth, and it is especially true for the wicked, directly paralleling how Abimelech's wickedness was met with divine retribution in his lifetime.
Romans 12:19The Apostle Paul urges believers not to take revenge, but to leave vengeance to God, which is exactly what the author of Judges highlights here: God is the one who ultimately renders justice for Abimelech's terrible deeds.
Galatians 6:7This verse teaches the principle of sowing and reaping, that whatever one sows, they will also reap. Abimelech sowed violence and death, and God ensured he reaped a violent and deadly end.
clarkeJudges 9:56: "Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:"
Thus God rendered, etc. - Both the fratricide Abimelech, and the unprincipled men of Shechem, had the iniquity visited upon them of which they had been guilty. Man's judgment may be avoided; but there is no escape from the judgments of God. I Have said that the fable of Jotham is the oldest, and perhaps the best, in the world; and referred for other particulars to the end…
bensonJudges 9:56: "Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:"
Jdg 9:56 . Thus God rendered, &c. — This and the following verse conclude the history of Abimelech with a divine admonition, that no man might think such things come to pass by chance. We see God, the judge of all, punished both Abimelech and the men of Shechem according to their deserts, and made them the instruments of each other’s destruction. And it is remarkable that…
It's easy to read this as just God "paying back" Abimelech for murder. But the text specifically highlights that Abimelech's wickedness was "against his father" too, emphasizing the profound violation of family and lineage he committed. This wasn't just a blood crime, but a deep betrayal that God's justice addresses.
This verse concludes the tragic story of Abimelech, who brutally murdered his seventy brothers to seize power. After his own violent end in Thebez, the biblical writer reflects on how God justly repaid Abimelech for his wickedness, particularly his betrayal of his father's family by slaughtering his kin. This swift divine retribution serves as a stark reminder that even wicked rulers and treacherous people will ultimately face God's judgment.
This verse concludes the tragic story of Abimelech, who brutally murdered his seventy brothers to seize power. After his own violent end in Thebez, the biblical writer reflects on how God justly repaid Abimelech for his wickedness, particularly his betrayal of his father's family by slaughtering his kin. This swift divine retribution serves as a stark reminder that even wicked rulers and treacherous people will ultimately face God's judgment.
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ro'sh · Hebrew Noun
A figurative expression denoting the accountability of a person. It implies that the consequences of one's actions, whether good or evil, will eventually land upon the individual responsible.
c. 1114 BC
Abimelech is killed by a millstone
As Abimelech besieged the tower of Thebez, a woman dropped a millstone on his head, mortally wounding him. He then asked his armor-bearer to kill him to avoid shame.
"Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of J…" — It's easy to read this as just God "paying back" Abimelech for murder. But the text specifically highlights that Abimelech's wickedness was "against his father" too, emphasizing the profound violatio…
