30 And Gideon hade threescore Heh. going and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. out of his thigh. f ch. 9. 1. † Heb. set. about 1209. 8 Gen. 25. 8. Job 5. 26. h ver. 27. ch. 6. 24. i ch. 2. 19. k ch. 2. 17. m Ps. 78. 11. 31 fAnd his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, hin Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites. 33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and kwent a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 34 And the children of Israel m remembered not the LORD 42.& 106. 13, their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 21. n ch. 9. 16, 17, 18. Ecc. 9. 14, 15. about 1209. ach. 8. 31. Heb. What is good? whether, &c. bcl. 8. 30. C Gen. 29. 14. t Heb. after. d Gen. 29. 15. n 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel. CHAPTER IX. 1 Abimelech by conspiracy with the She- of the god Berith. 50 At Thebez he is Abimelech is made king. the house of e Baal-berith, where- Before with Abimelech hired f vain and CHRIST light persons, which followed about 1209. him. e cli. 8. 33. fch. 11. 3. 2 Clar. 13.7. Prov. 12. 11. Acts 17. 5. 6 ch. 6. 24. 5 And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and hslew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten 2 Kings 11. persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 1,2. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the Or, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem. oak of the pillar: See Josh. 24. 26. about 1209. Deut. 11.29. & 27. 12. Josh. 8. 33. Jolm 4. 20. And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8 The trees went forth on aksee 2 Kings time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, m wherewith by me they honour God and man, and got to be promoted over the trees? 10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over ND Abimelech the son of the trees? A Jerubbin went to Shechem unto a his mother's brethren, and 3 And his mother's brethren 4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which "Ps. 104. 15. cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and or, thistle. reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shad-1s. 30. 2. ow; and if not, Plet fire come out of the bramble, and devour the a cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and The Shechemites conspire JUDGES. Before CHRIST about 1206. 1 Sam. 25.10. 1 Kings 12. 16. Gen. 34. 2,6. with Gaal against Abimelech. have done unto him raccording | said, Who is Abimelech, and to the deserving of his hands: who is Shechem, that we should 17 (For my father fought for serve him? is not he the son of you, and adventured his life Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? far, and delivered you out of serve the men of Hamor the the hand of Midian: father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 29 And would to God this 2 Sam. 15. 4. people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and ' come out. 18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother:) 19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then trejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 But if not, ulet fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. 22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then y God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem z dealt treacherously with Abimelech : 24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, which taided him in the killing of his brethren. 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. 26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vincyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into b the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abime lech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed 30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. Or, hot. craftily, or, to Tormah. 31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, say- Heb. ing, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. 32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33 And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them tas tHeb, as thy thou shalt find occasion. 34 T And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed. went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. hand shall find, 1 Sam. 10. 7. & 25. 8. Ecc. 9. 10. 37 And Gaal spake again and said, Sce, there come people down by the middle of the Heb. navel. land, and another company come along by the plain of Me-Or, The reonenim. garders of times, Deut. 18. 14. 38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abim-fver. 28, 29. elech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou : Abimelech overcometh them. Before CHRIST about 1206. g ver. 20. JUDGES. hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. 41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. 44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and ghe took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and h Deut. 29. 23. beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. 1 Kings 12. 25. 2 Kings 3. 25. ich. 8. 33. k Ps. 68. 14. + Heb. 1 have done. 46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into a hold of the house of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. Abimelech is slain at Thebez. 50Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. Before CHRIST about 1206. 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast a 12Sam. 11. 21. piece of a millstone upon Abimefech's head, and all to brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: m So 1 Sam. 31.4. ver. 24. Job 31. 3. Prov. 5. 22. 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the "ver. 20. son of Jerubbaal. 1 CHAPTER X. Tola judgeth Israel in Shamir. 3 Jair, whose thirty sons had thirty cities. 6 The Philistines and Ammonites oppress Israel. 10 In their misery God sendeth them to their false gods. 15 Upon their repentance he pitieth them. After Abimelech there about 1206. a arose to it defend Israel ach. 2. 16. Tola the son of Puah, the son Or, deliver. of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and† Heb. sare. he dwelt in Shamir in mount! Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty about 1183. and three years, and died, and was buried in Shamir. 3 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. c 4 And he had thirty sons that brode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. 6 And the children of Israel b ch. 5. 10. & 12. 14. c Deut. 3. 14. inges villages of Jair. Num. 32. 41. about 1161. dch. 2. 11. & 3. 7. & 4. 1. & 6. 1. & 13. 1. The Philistines oppress Israel. Before CHRIST about 1161. e ch. 2. 13. about 1161. did evil again in the sight of the themselves together, and en- Before CHRIST about 1161. ch. 11. 11, 29. 18 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, Gen 31. 49. What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over ch. 11. 8, 11. all the inhabitants of Gilead. 7 And the anger of the LORD 1 was hot against Israel, and he hsold them into the hands of the 1 Sam. 12.9. Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon. hch. 2. 14. † Heb. crushed. i 1 Sam. 12. 10. k Ex. 14. 30. 8 And that year they vexed and toppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. 10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. 11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, Num. 21. 21, and from the Amorites, m from the children of Ammon, "and from the Philistines? 24, 25 mch. 3. 12, 13. nch. 3. 31. ch. 5. 13. P ch. 6. 3. CHAPTER XI. The covenant between Jephthah and the Gileadites, that he should be their head. 12 The treaty of peace between him and the Ammonites is in rain. 29 Jephthah's row. 32 His conquest of the Ammonites. 34 He performeth his vow on his daughter. OW a Jephthah the Gileadite a Heb. 11. 32, called Jephthuê. tabel. 6. 12. was ba mighty man of valour, and he was the son of harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife bare him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. 3 Then Jephthah fled † from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him. 2 Kings 5. 1. † Heb. a woman a harlot. † Heb. from the face. ch. 9. 4. 1 Sam. 22. 2. 4 And it came to pass tint Heb. after days. process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war 12 The Zidonians also, Pand against Israel, the elders of Gilthe Amalekites, and the Maon-ead went to fetch Jephthah out Ps. 106. 42, ites, adid oppress you; and ye of the land of Tob: cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. 43. r Deut. 32. 15. Jer. 2. 13. 8 Deut. 32. 37, 38. 2 Kings 3. 13. Jer. 2. 28. 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Sam. 15. 26. ↑ Heb. is good in thine eyes. u2 Chr. 7. 14. & 15. 8. 13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. 15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever † seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. 16 "And they put away the Jer. 18. 7. 8. † strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. 6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. 7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not yed Gen. 26. 27. hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 8 e And the elders of Gilead said ch. 10. 18. unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that Luke 17. 4. thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be sour head over all ch. 10. 18. the inhabitants of Gilead. 9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head? 10 And the elders of Gilead His fruitless embassy Before CHRIST about 1161. h Jer. 42. 5. ↑ Heb. be the hearer be tween us. i ver. 8. A ch. 10. 17. & 1 Sam. 10. 17. 20. 1. & 11. 15. about 1143. 1 Num. 21. 24, 25, 26, said unto Jephthah, The LORD | racl to pass through his coast: 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh. 12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? 13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even m Gen. 32. 22. unto mJabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon: & 20. 1. Deut. 1. 46. 9 Num. 20. 14. 21. Before CHRIST about 1143. 21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they bsmote them: so Israel Num. 21.24, possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country. 25. Deut. 2. 33, 34. 22 And they possessed all the Deut. 2. 36. coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan. 23 So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? 24 Wilt not thou possess that which & Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess. Num. 21.29. 1 Kings 11.7. Jer 48. 7. Dent. 9. 4,5. & 18. 12. Josli. 3. 10. 25 And now art thou any thing better than f Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them, 26 While Israel dwelt in bon and her towns, and in hAroer and her towns, and in Deut. 2. 36. all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hund Hesh- Num. 21.25. 17 Then Israel sent messen-red years? why therefore did ye gers unto the king of Edom, not recover them within that saying, Let me, Ι pray thee, time? Num. 20. 18, pass through thy land: rbut the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not consent: and Israel sabode in Kadesh. 19 And y Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; Num. 21. 22. and Israel said unto him, zLet us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place. 31 Then it shall be, that what20 a But Sihon trusted not Is-soever cometh forth of the doors come forth. Deut. 2. 27. Num. 21. 23. Deut. 2. 32. + Heb, that which com eth forth. which shall |