And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The ceremony is held near an oak tree associated with a pillar, a spot where Joshua once renewed the covenant with God. This deliberate choice highlights the Shechemites' twisted attempt to legitimize their pagan king-making by associating it with sacred history, showing a profound disregard for the true meaning of their heritage.
And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh off a bloody massacre of his seventy brothers, Abimelech conspires with his mother's family and the influential leaders of Shechem to seize power. They gather by a significant ancient oak, likely the very one where Joshua had once renewed Israel's covenant with God, to formally crown Abimelech king, bypassing any counsel from God or the wider nation. This act of ambition and violence by a single city sets the stage for widespread rebellion and divine judgment against both Abimelech and the Shechemites.
How did a single city end up appointing a king over all Israel? This wasn't a democratic vote; it was a calculated power play.
In Judges 9:6, we see a stark departure from God's established order. The men of Shechem, along with 'all Beth-millo,' gathered to make Abimelech king. This act was a local takeover, not a nationwide consensus.
A Bold Usurpation
The location chosen for Abimelech's coronation is deeply symbolic. It’s a place tied to Israel's covenant history, adding a disturbing layer to the event.
Ask a follow-up
The ceremony took place 'by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.' This wasn't just any spot; it echoed a pivotal moment in Israel's past.
A Covenant Site Corrupted
Understand the original words
ba'al · Hebrew Noun
A designated leader, elder, or prominent person within a community who exercises authority, influence, or decision-making power. In Israelite society, these were often the heads of clans or cities.
malak · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the process of formally installing someone as monarch, usually through an act of public recognition and the symbolic action of anointing. Biblically, it signifies the establishing of human government under God's sovereign rule.
elon · Hebrew Noun
A prominent tree or grove often associated with religious or cultic gatherings in the ancient Near East, frequently serving as a landmark or a site for covenant-making or divine encounter.
matstsebah · Hebrew Noun
A holy place or monumental stone pillar used as a witness to a covenant or a memorial to a significant event, often marking a site of worship or divine encounter.
The leaders of Shechem crowned Abimelech king near a sacred oak and pillar, a place where Joshua had previously renewed the covenant with God. This choice highlights their bold disregard for divine authority and their embrace of a Canaanite-style monarchy, setting the stage for the tragic events that followed.
~1170 BC
Gideon's Victory and Refusal of Kingship
Gideon, a mighty judge, defeats the Midianites but refuses the people's offer to make him king, establishing a precedent against hereditary rule.
~1163 BC
Gideon Dies; Abimelech Seeks Power
After Gideon's death, his son Abimelech, driven by ambition and possibly resentment, conspires with his mother's relatives in Shechem to seize power.
c. 1163 BC
Abimelech Murders His Brothers
Abimelech ruthlessly murders seventy of his own half-brothers on one stone in Ophrah to eliminate any rivals to his claim to rule.
c. 1163 BC— this verse
Abimelech Crowned King at Shechem
The influential citizens and families of Shechem, including the 'house of Millo', gather and anoint Abimelech as king near an ancient pillar under an oak tree, ignoring God's will.
c. 1162 BC
Jotham's Curse
The only surviving son of Gideon, Jotham, pronounces a curse upon Abimelech and the people of Shechem from Mount Gerizim for their wicked deeds.
c. 1156 BC
Shechem Rebels Against Abimelech
A rebellion breaks out in Shechem against Abimelech's tyrannical rule, leading to further bloodshed and divine judgment.
c. 1156 BC
Destruction of Shechem and Millo
Abimelech, in retaliation for the rebellion, destroys the city of Shechem and the stronghold of Millo, sowing salt in the land.
This passage describes Joshua setting up a stone under an oak tree as a witness to the covenant, the very type of place where Abimelech's illegitimate kingship was declared, highlighting a perversion of sacred ground for worldly ambition.
Judges 8:22-23This directly contrasts Abimelech's actions with his father Gideon's humility; Gideon refused kingship, emphasizing God's rule, while Abimelech grasped for power, showing a profound spiritual decay.
1 Samuel 8:5The elders demanding a king 'like the other nations' mirrors the spirit of Shechem's actions, setting a precedent for rejecting God's direct kingship in favor of human rulers, ultimately leading to disaster.
Judges 9:22This verse reveals the insidious spread of Abimelech's ambition beyond Shechem, showing how this illegitimate act at the oak of the pillar was intended to claim dominion over all Israel, not just one city.
Genesis 35:4The ancient connection of Shechem with Jacob burying idols under an oak speaks to a long history of spiritual compromise in the region, making the choice of Abimelech king there a continuation of a pattern of turning away from God.
gillJudges 9:6: "And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem."
And all the men of Shechem gathered together,.... Upon the return of Abimelech, after he with his banditti had committed the execrable murder of his brethren: and all the house of Millo; which was either the men of a place near to Shechem, or of his brother's family, or of some grand leading family in Shechem; or it may mean t…
clarkeJudges 9:6: "And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem."
And all the house of Millo - If Millo be the name of a place, it is nowhere else mentioned in the sacred writings. But it is probably the name of a person of note and influence in the city of Shechem - the men of Shechem and the family of Millo.
The ceremony is held near an oak tree associated with a pillar, a spot where Joshua once renewed the covenant with God. This deliberate choice highlights the Shechemites' twisted attempt to legitimize their pagan king-making by associating it with sacred history, showing a profound disregard for the true meaning of their heritage.
Fresh off a bloody massacre of his seventy brothers, Abimelech conspires with his mother's family and the influential leaders of Shechem to seize power. They gather by a significant ancient oak, likely the very one where Joshua had once renewed Israel's covenant with God, to formally crown Abimelech king, bypassing any counsel from God or the wider nation. This act of ambition and violence by a single city sets the stage for widespread rebellion and divine judgment against both Abimelech and the Shechemites.
Fresh off a bloody massacre of his seventy brothers, Abimelech conspires with his mother's family and the influential leaders of Shechem to seize power. They gather by a significant ancient oak, likely the very one where Joshua had once renewed Israel's covenant with God, to formally crown Abimelech king, bypassing any counsel from God or the wider nation. This act of ambition and violence by a single city sets the stage for widespread rebellion and divine judgment against both Abimelech and the Shechemites.
"And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem." — The ceremony is held near an oak tree associated with a pillar, a spot where Joshua once renewed the covenant with God. This deliberate choice highlights the Shechemites' twisted attempt to legitimiz…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026