Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 8:31

And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

31. his concubine that was in Shechem ] A connexion of this kind is illustrated by early Arabian custom: the woman, or ‘female friend’ ( ada), did not leave her home, the union was of a temporary character (hence the term, mot‘a marriage) and required no consent from parents or guardians, the children remained with their mother and belonged to her tribe; cf. Jdg 9:1; Jdg 9:14. Robertson Smith, Kinship and Marriage in early Arabia, p. 69 ff. The narrative seems to imply that the woman was a Canaanite.

and he called his name Abimelech ] lit. set, an idiom found only in late writings 2Ki 17:34, Neh 9:7, Dan 1:7. Abimelech does not mean ‘my father (Gideon) is king,’ but probably ‘Melech (i.e. the divine king) is father.’ See Gray, Hebr. Pr. Names, pp. 75 86.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Abimelechs mother was not reckoned among the wives, being, probably, one of the Canaanite population in Shechem Jdg 9:28 : neither was Abimelech himself reckoned with the 70 other sons of Jerubbaal (Jdg 9:24. Compare Jdg 11:1-2).

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. His concubine] A lawful but secondary wife, whose children could not inherit.

Whose name he called Abimelech.] That is, my father is king, or my father hath reigned. This name was doubtless given by the mother, and so it should be understood here; she wished to raise her son to the supreme government, and therefore gave him a name which might serve to stimulate him to seek that which she hoped he should enjoy in his father’s right. See the following chapter (Jdg 9).

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

In Shechem; she dwelt there, and he oft came thither, either to execute judgment, or upon other occasions.

Abimelech, i.e. my father the king; so he called him, probably to gratify his concubine, who desired it either out of pride or design.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And his concubine that was in Shechem,…. Which was not an harlot, but a secondary or half wife; such were generally taken from handmaids, and of the meaner sort, and were not in such esteem as proper wives, had not the management of household affairs, only a share in the bed, and their children did not inherit. This concubine of Gideon’s seems not to have been taken into his house at all, but lived at Shechem, perhaps in her father’s house, and here Gideon met with her when he went to Shechem as a judge to try causes; her name, according to Josephus l, was Druma:

she also bare him a son; as his other wives did; perhaps all the children he had were sons, and this was one over and above the seventy, and not to be reckoned into that number:

whose name he called Abimelech: which signifies, “my father a king”; which he gave him either in memory of the offer made him to be king of Israel, or through foresight of what this son of his would be; or he might be moved to it by the mother from pride and vanity, and which name might afterwards inspire the young man to be made a king, as he was; and the account given of his name is because of the narrative of him in the following chapter.

l Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 1.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(31) His concubine that was in Shechem.In Jdg. 9:18 she is contemptuously called his maid servant. The sequel (Jdg. 9:1-4) seems to show that she belonged to the Canaanite population of Shechem. If so, Gideons conduct in making her a concubine was as much against the Mosaic law as that of Solomon, though it may have had the same colour of worldly expediency. But it is probable that the requirements of the Mosaic law were much better known in the reign of Solomon, when the priests had once more become influential, than they were in this anarchical period. This concubine exercised an influence sufficiently important to cause the preservation of her name by traditionDrumah (Jos. Antt. v. 7, 1).

Whose name he called Abimelech.For called the margin has set. The phrase is not the ordinary one, and perhaps implies that Abimelech (Father-kinga king, my father) was a surname given him by his father on observing his ambitious and boastful character. It seems more probable that the name was given by the Shechemites and his mother, and it may not have been without some influence for evil upon his ultimate career. The name has exactly the same significance as Padishah and Attalik, the title of the Khan of Bokhara (Gesenius). Being a well-understood dynastic title (Genesis 20; Psalms 34 title), it would be all the more significant. He was like a bad reproduction of Gideon, with the courage and energy of his father, but with none of his virtues.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

31. Whose name he called Abimelech Literally, as margin, he set his name, from which expression Keil understands that Gideon gave his son this name, not at the time of his birth, but after he had grown up and shown such qualities as led to the expectation that he would be a king’s father.

The name and maternity of this son prepare us for the history contained in the next chapter.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jdg 8:31 And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Ver. 31. And his concubine, ] i.e., His wife though in an inferior degree: a as having been before his maid servant. Jdg 9:18

Whose name he called Abimelech, ] i.e., My father is king. This name, probably, he gave him at the motion of his concubine, who might say of her son as afterwards Nero’s mother did of him, Occidar, modo imperet; let him reign upon any terms: and possibly this name of his might stir him up to aspire to the kingdom, taking omen ex nomine, and being told that his father was offered the sovereign and supreme power for him and his posterity.

a Dio.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

concubine: Jdg 9:1-5, Gen 16:15, Gen 22:24

called: Heb. set

Abimelech: Jdg 9:18, Gen 20:2

Reciprocal: 1Ki 11:3 – seven hundred 2Ch 13:21 – begat

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jdg 8:31-32. His concubine that was in Shechem She dwelt there, and he often went thither, either to execute judgment, or upon other occasions. Abimelech That is, my father the king; so he called him, probably to gratify his concubine, who desired it either out of pride, or design. Gideon died in a good old age His long life being crowned with the continuance of honour, tranquillity, and happiness.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments