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the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Judges 9:22

Abimelech had been a military commander of Israel for three years,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Citizens;   Judge;   Treason;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jotham;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Shechem;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Persecution;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Belial (Beliar);   Government;   Israel;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Ophrah;   Palestine;   Shalman;   Shechem;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Shechem ;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abimelech;   Zebul;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Judges, Period of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Abimelech had ruled over Israel three years,
Hebrew Names Version
Avimelekh was prince over Yisra'el three years.
King James Version
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
Lexham English Bible
Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
English Standard Version
Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
New Century Version
Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.
New English Translation
Abimelech commanded Israel for three years.
Amplified Bible
Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
New American Standard Bible
Now Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Abimelech reigned three yeere ouer Israel.
Legacy Standard Bible
And on some, who are doubting, have mercy;
Complete Jewish Bible
Avimelekh was chief over Isra'el for three years.
Darby Translation
And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
Easy-to-Read Version
Abimelech ruled the Israelites for three years.
George Lamsa Translation
When Abimeleck had reigned over Israel three years,
Good News Translation
Abimelech ruled Israel for three years.
Literal Translation
And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now whan Abimelech had reigned thre yeare ouer Israel,
American Standard Version
And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
Bible in Basic English
So Abimelech was chief over Israel for three years.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When Abimelech had raigned three yeres ouer Israel,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
King James Version (1611)
When Abimelech had reigned three yeeres ouer Israel,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abimelech reigned over Israel three years.
English Revised Version
And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
Berean Standard Bible
After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Abymelech regnede on Israel thre yeer.
Young's Literal Translation
And Abimelech is prince over Israel three years,
Update Bible Version
And Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
Webster's Bible Translation
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
World English Bible
Abimelech was prince over Israel three years.
New King James Version
After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years,
New Living Translation
After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years,
New Life Bible
Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.
New Revised Standard
Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
Douay-Rheims Bible
So Abimelech reigned over Israel three years.
Revised Standard Version
Abim'elech ruled over Israel three years.
THE MESSAGE
Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Then God brought bad blood between Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who now worked treacherously behind his back. Violence boomeranged: The murderous violence that killed the seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal, was now loose among Abimelech and Shechem's leaders, who had supported the violence.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.

Contextual Overview

22 Abimelech had been a military commander of Israel for three years, 23when God decided to punish him and the leaders of Shechem for killing Gideon's seventy sons. So God turned the leaders of Shechem against Abimelech. 25 Then they sent some men to hide on the hilltops and watch for Abimelech and his troops, while they sent others to rob everyone that went by on the road. But Abimelech found out what they were doing. 26 One day, Gaal son of Ebed went to live in Shechem. His brothers moved there too, and soon the leaders of Shechem started trusting him. 27 The time came for the grape harvest, and the people of Shechem went into their vineyards and picked the grapes. They put the grapes in their wine-pits and walked on them to squeeze out the juice in order to make wine. Then they went into the temple of their god and threw a big party. There was a lot of eating and drinking, and before long they were cursing Abimelech. 28 Gaal said: Hamor was the founder of Shechem, and one of his descendants should be our ruler. But Abimelech's father was Gideon, so Abimelech isn't really one of us. He shouldn't be our king, and we shouldn't have to obey him or Zebul, who rules Shechem for him. 29 If I were the ruler of Shechem, I'd get rid of that Abimelech. I'd tell him, "Get yourself an even bigger army, and we will still defeat you." 30 Zebul was angry when he found out what Gaal had said. 31 And so he sent some messengers to Abimelech. But they had to pretend to be doing something else, or they would not have been allowed to leave Shechem. Zebul told the messengers to say: Gaal the son of Ebed has come to Shechem along with his brothers, and they have persuaded the people to let Gaal rule Shechem instead of you. 32 This is what I think you should do. Lead your army here during the night and hide in the fields.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Judges 11:26 - three hundred

Cross-References

Genesis 9:12
The rainbow that I have put in the sky will be my sign to you and to every living creature on earth. It will remind you that I will keep this promise forever.
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.
Genesis 9:19
All people on earth are descendants of Noah's three sons.
Genesis 9:20
Noah farmed the land and was the first to plant a vineyard.
Genesis 9:21
One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent.
Genesis 9:25
he said, "I now put a curse on Canaan! He will be the lowest slave of his brothers.
Genesis 10:6
Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the Lord . Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the Lord !" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.
1 Chronicles 1:8
Ham was the father of Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan, and they were the ancestors of the kingdoms named after them.
Psalms 40:15
Embarrass and shame all of those who say, "Just look at you now!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel. The people in general consenting to what the men of Shechem had done, at least not opposing it, all being desirous of a king, and therefore put up with a mean person, rather than have none; though it is amazing they should, and that they had not rose up as one man against Abimelech, and avenged the blood of the sons of Gideon, who had been so useful and serviceable to them; it is indeed said that he reigned over all Israel, and his reign, such as it was, was very short, as is often the case with wicked princes.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Had reigned - Rather, “had ruled.” It is not the phrase used in Judges 9:6. It looks as if the Shechemites alone had made him king, and the rest of Israel had submitted to his dominion, without allowing his title of king.


 
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