Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 9:25
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
25. liers in wait for him ] They hoped to catch A., who apparently was non-resident, and failing him, they plundered his friends. From the heights round Shechem the roads are easily watched. Probably in their original context Jdg 9:22-25 were followed by Jdg 9:42-45; on being told of the treason, A. at once ( Jdg 9:43) took measures.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 25. The men of Shechem set liers in wait] It pleased God to punish this bad man by the very persons who had contributed to his iniquitous elevation. So God often makes the instruments of men’s sins the means of their punishment. It is likely that although Abimelech had his chief residence at Shechem, yet he frequently went to Ophrah, the city of his father; his claim to which there was none to oppose, as he had slain all his brethren. It was probably in his passage between those two places that the Shechemites had posted cut-throats, in order to assassinate him; as such men had no moral principle, they robbed and plundered all who came that way.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Liers in wait for him, to seize his person.
All that came along that way by them, to wit, such as favoured or served Abimelech; for to such only their commission reached, though it may be they went beyond their bounds, and by military license robbed all passengers promiscuously.
It was told Abimelech; who, as it is here implied, exercised hostility towards the men of Shechem.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains,…. Of Ebal and Gerizim, which were near Shechem, by the way of which he passed when he came to that city, and these they set there, either to slay him, or to seize his person, and bring him to them:
and they robbed all that came along that way by them; that belonged to Abimelech and others also; and this they did to show their contempt of his government, and that they were no longer under it, and every man did what was right in his own eyes, as if they had no governor over them; though some think this was done to draw him thither to secure his subjects from such rapine and violence, that they might have an opportunity to lay hold upon him, or this they did on purpose to begin a civil war:
and it was told Abimelech; that they lay in wait for him, and so he kept himself from them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The faithlessness of the Shechemites towards Abimelech commenced by their placing liers in wait for him ( , dat. incomm., to his disadvantage) upon the tops of the mountains (Ebal and Gerizim, between which Shechem was situated), who plundered every one who passed by them on the road. In what way they did harm to Abimelech by sending out liers in wait to plunder the passers-by, is not very clear from the brevity of the narrative. The general effect may have been, that they brought his government into discredit with the people by organizing a system of robbery and plunder, and thus aroused a spirit of discontent and rebellion. Possibly, however, these highway robbers were to watch for Abimelech himself, if he should come to Shechem, not only to plunder him, but, if possible, to despatch him altogether. This was made known to Abimelech. But before he had put down the brigandage, the treachery broke out into open rebellion.
Jdg 9:26 Gaal, the son of Ebed, came to Shechem with his brethren. with , to pass over into a place. Who Gaal was, and whence he came, we are not informed. Many of the MSS and early editions, e.g., the Syriac and Arabic, read “son of Eber,” instead of “son of Ebed.” Judging from his appearance in Shechem, he was a knight-errant, who went about the country with his brethren, i.e., as captain of a company of freebooters, and was welcomed in Shechem, because the Shechemites, who were dissatisfied with the rule of Abimelech, hoped to find in him a man who would be able to render them good service in their revolt from Abimelech. This may be gathered from the words “ and the lords of Shechem trusted in him. ”
Jdg 9:27 At the vintage they prepared , “praise-offerings,” with the grapes which they had gathered and pressed, eating and drinking in the house of their god, i.e., the temple of Baal-berith, and cursing Abimelech at these sacrificial meals, probably when they were excited with wine. signifies, according to Lev 19:24, praise-offerings of the fruits which newly-planted orchards or vineyards bore in the fourth years. The presentation of these fruits, by which the vineyard or orchard was sanctified to the Lord, was associated, as we may learn from the passage before us, with sacrificial meals. The Shechemites held a similar festival in the temple of their covenant Baal, and in his honour, to that which the law prescribes for the Israelites in Lev 19:23-25.
Jdg 9:28-29 At this feast Gaal called upon the Shechemites to revolt from Abimelech. “ Who is Abimelech, ” he exclaimed, “ and who Shechem, that we serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem! and why should we, we serve him (Abimelech)?” The meaning of these words, which have been misinterpreted in several different ways, is very easily seen, if we bear in mind (1) that (who is?) in this double question cannot possibly be used in two different and altogether opposite senses, such as “how insignificant or contemptible is Abimelech,” and “how great and mighty is Shechem,” but that in both instances it must be expressive of disparagement and contempt, as in 1Sa 25:10; and (2) that Gaal answers his own questions. Abimelech was regarded by him as contemptible, not because he was the son of a maid-servant or of very low birth, nor because he was ambitious and cruel, a patricide and the murderer of his brethren ( Rosenmller), but because he was a son of Jerubbaal, a son of the man who destroyed the altar of Baal at Shechem and restored the worship of Jehovah, for which the Shechemites themselves had endeavoured to slay him (Jdg 6:27.). So also the meaning of the question, Who is Shechem? may be gathered from the answer, “and Zebul his officer.” The use of the personal (how) in relation to Shechem may be explained on the ground that Gaal is speaking not so much of the city as of its inhabitants. The might and greatness of Shechem did not consist in the might and authority of its prefect, Zebul, who had been appointed by Abimelech, and whom the Shechemites had no need to serve. Accordingly there is no necessity either for the arbitrary paraphrase of Shechem, given in the Sept., viz., (son of Shechem); or for the perfectly arbitrary assumption of Bertheau, that Shechem is only a second name for Abimelech, who was a descendant of Shechem; or even for the solution proposed by Rosenmller, that Zebul was “a man of low birth and obscure origin,” which is quite incapable of proof. To Zebul, that one man whom Abimelech had appointed prefect of the city, Gaal opposes “ the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem, ” as those whom the Shechemites should serve (i.e., whose followers they should be). Hamor was the name of the Hivite prince who had founded the city of Shechem (Gen 33:19; Gen 34:2; compare Jos 24:32). The “men of Hamor” were the patricians of the city, who “derived their origin from the noblest and most ancient stock of Hamor” ( Rosenmller). Gaal opposes them to Abimelech and his representative Zebul.
(Note: Bertheau maintains, though quite erroneously, that serving the men of Hamor is synonymous with serving Abimelech. But the very opposite of this is so clearly implied in the words, that there cannot be any doubt on the question. All that can be gathered from the words is that there were remnants of the Hivite (or Canaanitish) population still living in Shechem, and therefore that the Canaanites had not been entirely exterminated-a fact which would sufficiently explain the revival of the worship of Baal there.)
In the last clause, “ why should we serve him ” (Abimelech or his officer Zebul)? Gall identifies himself with the inhabitants of Shechem, that he may gain them fully over to his plans.
Jdg 9:29 “ O that this people, ” continued Gaal, “ were in my hand,” i.e., could I but rule over the inhabitants of Shechem, “ then would I remove (drive away) Abimelech. ” He then exclaimed with regard to Abimelech ( , as in Jdg 9:54, Gen 20:13, etc.), “ Increase thine army and come out! ” Heated as he was with wine, Gaal was so certain of victory that he challenged Abimelech boldly to make war upon Shechem. , imper. Piel with Seghol. , imperative, with of motion or emphasis.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(25) Set liers in wait for him.The for him does not necessarily mean to seize him, but to his disadvantage. The disaffection began to show itself, as has so often been the case in Palestine from the days of Saul to those of Herod, by the rise of brigandage, rendering all government precarious, and providing a refuge tor all dangerous and discontented spirits. Josephus says that Abimelech was expelled from Shechem, and even from the tribe of Ephraim (Antt. v. 1, 3).
In the top of the mountains.Especially Ebal and Gerizim.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Liers in wait for him Ambushed warriors, who watched particularly for an opportunity of assassinating the king when he should chance to pass out of the city, but meantime robbed all that came along by them, innocent travellers, and thus brought the government itself into disrepute; for the people would feel that a worthless king was the occasion of the troubles.
It was told Abimelech And it seems he at once took measures to put down the banditti, but before he had moved far the matter assumed the proportions of a fierce rebellion.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the chief men of Shechem set liers in wait against him on spurs of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them and it was told Abimelech.’
The form of rebellion that occurred was due to their greed for gold. We must remember that many of them were former Habiru. These ‘chief men of Shechem’, the majority of the ruling class, arranged ambushes against passing travellers to seize their wealth. This was not thus an illicit band of thieves but a public policy encouraged by some of the authorities.
It is unlikely that it was a new venture. They had probably been doing it in secret through the years. But now they did it openly. It was ‘against him’ because as prince of Israel it would interfere with his collection of tolls, and because it was his responsibility to ensure that his people could travel in safety. It would also interfere with trade. If the routes to Shechem between the mountains were unsafe traders would avoid Shechem. The information soon reached Abimelech, no doubt indignantly reported by the travellers. This was their first treacherous dealing.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 9:25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
Ver. 25. Set liers in wait for him. ] Attempting thereby secretly to have slain him, or at least to have seized his person.
And it was told Abimelech.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jos 8:4, Jos 8:12, Jos 8:13, Pro 1:11, Pro 1:12
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 9:25. Set liers in wait for him To seize his person. Robbed all Such as favoured or served Abimelech; for to such only their commission reached, though it may be they went beyond their bounds, and robbed all passengers promiscuously.