In brief
Abimelech is the son of Gideon (Jerubbaal) and of a concubine from Shechem. After the death of his father, who had refused kingship, he persuades the men of Shechem to make him king, kills his seventy brothers on one stone and reigns three years. Only Jotham, the youngest, escapes and speaks a parable and a curse. God sends an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem; he destroys the city, then dies at a tower, his skull broken by a millstone thrown by a woman.
What does the name Abimelech Son of Gideon mean?
Abimelech is generally understood as “my father is king,” a name also borne by Philistine kings of Gerar in the days of Abraham and Isaac. For Gideon’s son, the name sounds like irony: his father had said, “I will not rule over you,” and he is the one who seizes the refused crown.
The story of Abimelech Son of Gideon
Son of a concubine from Shechem
Judges 8:29-31Gideon has seventy sons, “for he had many wives.” The text adds: “His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.” He thus grows up on the margins of his father’s house, with ties to a city that worships Baal Berith.
After Gideon, forgetfulness
Judges 8:33-35At Gideon’s death, Israel turns again to the Baals. The people “didn’t remember Yahweh their God” and showed no kindness to the house of Jerubbaal. In this climate of ingratitude toward God and toward the deliverer, Abimelech’s ambition finds fertile ground to grow.
The massacre of the seventy brothers
Judges 9:1-6Abimelech asks the men of Shechem whether it is better to have seventy rulers or one, reminding them, “I am your bone and your flesh.” With seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal Berith, he hires reckless men and kills his brothers “on one stone.” Only Jotham hides. Shechem makes Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar.
Jotham’s parable
Judges 9:7-21From Mount Gerizim, Jotham tells the fable of the trees seeking a king: the olive tree, the fig tree and the vine refuse, and only the bramble accepts, threatening fire. He calls down judgment: “let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem,” and fire from Shechem to devour Abimelech. Then he flees.
God sends an evil spirit
Judges 9:22-49After three years, “God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem,” so that the violence done to the seventy brothers would come back on them all. Gaal stirs up the city; Abimelech crushes him, beats down Shechem and sows it with salt, and burns the stronghold where about a thousand people had taken refuge.
The millstone of Thebez
Judges 9:50-57At the tower of Thebez, the text says: “A certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and broke his skull.” He has his armor bearer finish him so that men will not say a woman killed him. The account concludes: “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father in killing his seventy brothers.”
What Abimelech Son of Gideon teaches us
- An ambition that pushes God aside and tramples others always ends up turning against you.
- Ingratitude toward those who have done you good opens the door to leaders who will do you harm.
- God does not forget innocent blood: his justice may be slow, but it never goes out.
- The only king who deserves your life is the one who gave his own, not the one who takes the lives of others.
Key verses
Gideon refuses to rule: “Yahweh shall rule over you.” His son Abimelech reverses that word by making himself king through blood.
God sends an evil spirit between Abimelech and Shechem so that the violence done to the seventy brothers receives its punishment. Judgment comes through the discord of the accomplices.
The conclusion of the story: God repays Abimelech and Shechem for the evil they did, and Jotham’s curse is fulfilled.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Abimelech kill his brothers?
Judges 9:1-5 shows his calculation: he proposes to the men of Shechem, his mother’s family, to have one master rather than seventy, and he eliminates all his brothers so as to leave no rival. The text gives him no word from God and no legitimacy: it is a seizure of power by Baal Berith’s money and by murder.
What does the name Abimelech mean?
Abimelech is generally understood as “my father is king.” It is borne by kings of Gerar in Genesis 20 and 26, and by Gideon’s son. For the latter, the name contrasts with his father’s answer in Judges 8:23, who refused to rule so that Yahweh would rule over Israel.
Where can I find the story of Abimelech son of Gideon in the Bible?
His birth is mentioned in Judges 8:31, and his whole story fills Judges 9: the seizure of power at Shechem, Jotham’s parable, Gaal’s revolt, the destruction of Shechem and his death at Thebez. 2 Samuel 11:21 still recalls his end under the millstone as a well-known example.