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Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Contemporary English Version

Judges 9:21

Jotham ran off and went to live in the town of Beer, where he could be safe from his brother Abimelech.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beer;   Jotham;   Judge;   Orphan;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fatherless;   Manasseh, the Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beer;   Jotham;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jotham;   Shechem;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Beer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (2);   Beer;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Beer;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Beer;   Government;   Israel;   Levi;   Ophrah;   Palestine;   Shalman;   Shechem;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Beer ;   Jotham ;   Shechem ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gerizim;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Be'er;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Beer;   Jotham;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Beer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and lived there because of his brother Abimelech.
Hebrew Names Version
Yotam ran away, and fled, and went to Be'er, and lived there, for fear of Avimelekh his brother.
King James Version
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Lexham English Bible
And Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; he remained there because of Abimelech his brother.
English Standard Version
And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.
New Century Version
Then Jotham ran away and escaped to the city of Beer. He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
New English Translation
Then Jotham ran away to Beer and lived there to escape from Abimelech his half-brother.
Amplified Bible
Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and lived there because of Abimelech his brother.
New American Standard Bible
Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer; and he stayed there because of his brother Abimelech.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for feare of Abimelech his brother.
Legacy Standard Bible
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Yotam fled, making his way to Be'er, and he lived there for fear of Avimelekh his brother.
Darby Translation
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, because of Abimelech his brother.
Easy-to-Read Version
After Jotham had said this, he ran away and escaped to the city named Beer. He stayed there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
George Lamsa Translation
And Jotham ran away and escaped, and went to Debir, and dwelt there, the place where Abimeleck had lived before.
Good News Translation
Then because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech, Jotham ran away and went to live at Beer.
Literal Translation
And Jotham hurried and fled, and went to Beer and lived there, away from the face of his brother Abimelech.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Iotha (whan he had spoken this out) fled, and gat him out of the waye, and wente vnto Ber, and dwelt there because of his brother Abimelech.
American Standard Version
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Bible in Basic English
Then Jotham straight away went in flight to Beer, and was living there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ioatham ran away and fledde, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for feare of Abimelech his brother.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
King James Version (1611)
And Iotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there for feare of Abimeleeh his brother.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Joatham fled, and ran away, and went as far as Baeer, and dwelt there out of the way of his brother Abimelech.
English Revised Version
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he hadde seide these thingis, he fledde, and yede in to Berara, and dwellide there, for drede of Abymelech, his brother.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jotham hasteth, and fleeth, and goeth to Beer, and dwelleth there, from the face of Abimelech his brother.
Update Bible Version
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
World English Bible
Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
New King James Version
And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
New Living Translation
Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
New Life Bible
Jotham ran away from them and went to Beer. He stayed there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
New Revised Standard
Then Jotham ran away and fled, going to Beer, where he remained for fear of his brother Abimelech.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jotham hasted away, and fled, and went to Beer, - and dwelt there, away from the face of Abimelech his brother.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had said thus, he fled, and went into Bera: and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech, his brother.
Revised Standard Version
And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abim'elech his brother.
THE MESSAGE
And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

Contextual Overview

7 Jotham heard what they were doing. So he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted down to the people who were there at the meeting: Leaders of Shechem, listen to me, and maybe God will listen to you. 8 Once the trees searched for someone to be king; they asked the olive tree, "Will you be our king?" 9 But the olive tree replied, "My oil brings honor to people and gods. I won't stop making oil, just to have my branches wave above the other trees." 10 Then they asked the fig tree, "Will you be our king?" 11 But the fig tree replied, "I won't stop growing my delicious fruit, just to have my branches wave above the other trees." 12 Next they asked the grape vine, "Will you be our king?" 13 But the grape vine replied, "My wine brings cheer to people and gods. I won't stop making wine, just to have my branches wave above the other trees." 14 Finally, they went to the thornbush and asked, "Will you be our king?" 15 The thornbush replied, "If you really want me to be your king, then come into my shade and I will protect you. But if you're deceiving me, I'll start a fire that will spread out and destroy the cedars of Lebanon." After Jotham had finished telling this story, he said: 16My father Gideon risked his life for you when he fought to rescue you from the Midianites. Did you reward Gideon by being kind to his family? No, you did not! You attacked his family and killed all seventy of his sons on that rock. And was it right to make Abimelech your king? He's merely the son of my father's slave girl. But just because he's your relative, you made him king of Shechem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Beer: Probably the Beer mentioned by Mr. Maundrell, three hours and a half, or about ten miles, north of Jerusalem, towards Shechem. It is situated toward the south, on an easy declivity; and has a fountain of excellent water at the bottom of the hill, from which it has taken its name. Close to the well are the mouldering walls of a ruined khan; and on the summit of the hill two large arches still remain of a ruined convent. Dr. Richardson says, that it seems to have been once a place of considerable consequence. Numbers 21:16, Joshua 19:8, 2 Samuel 20:14

Cross-References

Genesis 6:9
and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God.
Genesis 9:3
and I have given them to you for food. From now on, you may eat them, as well as the green plants that you have always eaten.
Genesis 9:4
But life is in the blood, and you must not eat any meat that still has blood in it.
Genesis 9:15
I will remember my promise to you and to all other living creatures. Never again will I let floodwaters destroy all life.
Genesis 9:16
When I see the rainbow in the sky, I will always remember the promise that I have made to every living creature.
Proverbs 20:1
It isn't smart to get drunk! Drinking makes a fool of you and leads to fights.
Ecclesiastes 7:20
No one in this world always does right.
Romans 13:13
So behave properly, as people do in the day. Don't go to wild parties or get drunk or be vulgar or indecent. Don't quarrel or be jealous.
1 Corinthians 10:12
Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall.
Galatians 5:21
envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jotham ran away, and fled,.... Having delivered his fable, and the application of it, he made his escape, having the advantage of being on the top of a mountain, at some distance from the people, and perhaps they might not be inclined to do him any harm:

and went to Beer; which some take to be the same with Baalathbeer in the tribe of Simeon, Joshua 19:8 Jerom f says, the village Bera, whither Jotham fled, is eight miles from Eleutheropolis to the north; but Mr. Maundrell g, who was in those parts in 1697, gives us a better account of it; and, according to him, it is about two hours and a half's travel from Bethel to it, and three hours and one third from it to Jerusalem; Beer, he says, enjoys a very pleasant situation, on an easy declivity, fronting southward; at the bottom of the hill it has a plentiful fountain of excellent water, from which it had its name:

and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother; how long he dwelt there is not certain, and we hear no more of him after this, Josephus says h he lay hid in the mountains three years for fear of Abimelech, which perhaps he concluded from Abimelech's reigning three years, as follows.

f De loc. Heb. fol. 89. I g Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 64, 66. h Antiqu. l. 5. c. 7. sect. 2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 9:21. Went to Beer — Mr. Maundrell, in his journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 64, 5th edit., mentions a place of this name, which he thinks to be that to which Jotham fled, and supposed to be the same as Mishmash, 1 Samuel 14:5; 1 Samuel 14:31. It is situated, he says, towards the south, on an easy declivity; and has a fountain of excellent water at the bottom of the hill from which it has taken its name.


 
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