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the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Myles Coverdale Bible

Judges 9:4

and gaue him thre score and ten syluerlinges out of ye house of Baal Berith. And wt them Abimelech hyred men that were vagabundes and of light condicions, which folowed him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ambition;   Baal-Berith;   Conspiracy;   Judge;   Rulers;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Jotham;   Shechem;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Concubine;   Jotham;   Marriage;   Shechem;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Destroy, Destruction;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Baal-Berith;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (2);   Baal-Berith;   Raca;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gods, Pagan;   Judges, Book of;   Wages;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Baal-Berith;   Government;   Israel;   Judges (1);   Levi;   Marriage;   Ophrah;   Palestine;   Shalman;   Shechem;   Wisdom;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Baalberith ;   Shechem ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Baal;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ba'al,;   Piece of Silver;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Baal Berith;   Government of the Hebrews;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abimelech;   Baal (1);   Baal-Berith;   Fellow;   Hire;   Person;   Shechem;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Baal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Baal-Berith;   Shechem;   Treason;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith. Abimelech used it to hire worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.
Hebrew Names Version
They gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Ba`al-Berit, with which Avimelekh hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
King James Version
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
Lexham English Bible
And they gave to him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.
English Standard Version
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
New Century Version
So the leaders of Shechem gave Abimelech about one and three-quarter pounds of silver from the temple of the god Baal-Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire some worthless, reckless men, who followed him wherever he went.
New English Translation
They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous men as his followers.
Amplified Bible
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and undisciplined men, and they followed (supported) him.
New American Standard Bible
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men, and they followed him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they gaue him seuentie pieces of siluer out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vayne and light fellowes which followed him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Hulle het hom toe sewentig sikkels silwer uit die huis van Bal-Bert gegee, en daarmee het Abimleg ydele en ligsinnige manne gehuur, en hulle het hom gevolg.
Contemporary English Version
Then they gave Abimelech seventy pieces of silver from the temple of their god Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire a gang of rough soldiers who would do anything for money.
Complete Jewish Bible
They also gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Ba‘al-B'rit; and he used these to pay good-for-nothing thugs to follow him.
Darby Translation
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hired with them vain and wanton men, and they followed him.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the leaders of Shechem gave Abimelech 70 pieces of silver. That silver was from the temple of the god Baal Berith. Abimelech used the silver to hire some men. These men were worthless, reckless men. They followed Abimelech wherever he went.
George Lamsa Translation
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-kiama, with which Abimeleck hired vain and wanton persons, who followed him.
Good News Translation
They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant, and with this money he hired a bunch of worthless scoundrels to join him.
Literal Translation
And they gave to him seventy silverlings out of the house of Baal-berith. And Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men with them; and they went after him.
American Standard Version
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
Bible in Basic English
And they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech got the support of a number of uncontrolled and good-for-nothing persons.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they gaue him threescore and ten peeces of siluer out of the house of Baal Berith, wherwith Abimelech hyred vayne and light persons, which went with hym.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
King James Version (1611)
And they gaue him threescore and ten pieces of siluer, out of the house of Baal-Berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vaine & light persons, which followed him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith; and Abimelech hired for himself vain and cowardly men, and they went after him.
English Revised Version
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, which followed him.
Berean Standard Bible
So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei yauen to hym seuenti weiytis of siluer of the temple of Baal Berith; and he hiride to hym therof men pore and hauynge no certeyn dwellynge, and thei sueden hym.
Young's Literal Translation
and they give to him seventy silverings out of the house of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech hireth with them men, vain and unstable, and they go after him;
Update Bible Version
And they gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons, who followed him.
World English Bible
They gave him seventy [pieces] of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him.
New King James Version
So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.
New Living Translation
They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him.
New Life Bible
They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the family of Baal-berith. Abimelech used the money to hire wild men of no worth who followed him.
New Revised Standard
They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the temple of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they gave him seventy pieces of silver, out of the house of Baal-berith, - and Abimelech hired therewith, loose and unstable men, and they followed him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they gave him seventy weight of silver out of the temple of Baalberith: wherewith he hired to himself men that were needy, and vagabonds, and they followed him.
Revised Standard Version
And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Ba'al-be'rith with which Abim'elech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.
THE MESSAGE
They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-the-Covenant. With the money he hired some reckless riffraff soldiers and they followed along after him. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him.

Contextual Overview

1 Abimelech the sonne of Ierubaal, wente vnto Siche to his mothers brethren, & spake vnto them, & to all the kynred of his mothers fathers house, and sayde: 2 I praye you speake in the eares of all the men at Sichem: What is better for you, that thre score and ten men all children of Ierubaal shulde be lordes ouer you, or that one man shulde be lorde ouer you? Remembre also that I am youre bone and youre flesh. 3 Then spake his mothers brethre all these wordes for him, in ye eares of all ye men at Sichem. And their hert enclyned to Abimelech, for they thoughte: He is oure brother: 4 and gaue him thre score and ten syluerlinges out of ye house of Baal Berith. And wt them Abimelech hyred men that were vagabundes and of light condicions, which folowed him. 5 And he came to his fathers house vnto Aphra, and slew his brethren the children of Ierubaal, euen thre score men and te vpon one stone. But Iotham the yongest sonne of Ierubaal remayned ouer, for he was hydd. 6 And all the men of Sichem, and all the house of Millo gathered them selues together, and wente and made Abimelech kynge by the Oke that stondeth at Sichem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

house: Judges 9:46-49, Judges 8:33

vain: etc. Anashim raikim oophochozim, "worthless and dissolute men;" persons who were living on the public, and had nothing to lose. Such was the foundation of his Babel government. By a cunning management of such unprincipled men most revolutions are brought about. Judges 11:3, 1 Samuel 22:2, 2 Chronicles 13:7, Job 30:8, Proverbs 12:11, Acts 17:5

Reciprocal: Judges 9:27 - the house 2 Samuel 6:20 - vain fellows Proverbs 28:19 - but Daniel 11:24 - he shall scatter 2 Corinthians 1:17 - lightness

Cross-References

Genesis 9:10
and with euery lyuynge creature that is with you, both foule, catell, and all beastes vpon the earth with you, of all that is gone out of the Arke, what so euer beast of the earth it be:
Genesis 9:14
so that wha I brynge cloudes vpon the earth, the bowe shal appeare in the cloudes.
Leviticus 3:17
All the fatt is the LORDES. Let this be a perpetuall lawe amonge yor posterities in all youre dwellynges, that ye eate no fatt, ner bloude.
Leviticus 7:26
Morouer, ye shall eate no bloude, nether of catell, ner of foules, where so euer ye dwell.
Leviticus 19:26
Ye shal eate nothinge wt bloude. Ye shall not regarde ye foules cryenge, ner chose out dayes.
Deuteronomy 12:16
onely the bloude shalt thou not eate, but poure it out as water vpon the earth.
Deuteronomy 12:23
Onely bewarre, that thou eate not the bloude: for the bloude is the life. Therfore shalt thou not eate the life wt the flesh,
Deuteronomy 14:21
Ye shall eate of nothinge yt dyeth alone: thou mayest geue it vnto ye straunger within yi gate, that he eate it, or sell it to a straunger. For thou art an holy people vnto ye LORDE thy God. Thou shalt not seeth a kydd, whyle it yet sucketh his mother.
Deuteronomy 15:23
Onely se that thou eate not of the bloude therof, but poure it out as water vpon the grounde.
Acts 15:20
but to wryte vnto them, that they absteyne them selues from fylthynesse of Idols, from whordome, and from strangled, and bloude.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baalbirith,.... The temple of their idol; of this name

:-, out of the money which had been dedicated to his service by freewill offering, or out of a bank which they deposited there for greater safety, and perhaps out of a superstitious notion of its being more prosperous and successful: of what value these pieces were is not certain; by pieces of silver, commonly shekels are meant; but these are thought to be of too little value to be given to a man to raise an army with, or carry on a scheme to advance himself to the throne; and talents are judged to be too large a sum for such a city to contribute out of a temple of theirs, and that but lately built, as it must be since the death of Gideon; they are therefore thought to be pounds, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it; however, in the number of them there seems to be some reference to the number of Gideon's sons, who were to be destroyed by bribing men with this sum, which was the scheme concerted between Abimelech and the men of Shechem;

wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him; perhaps seventy of them, giving to each a piece or pound of silver; these were a base scoundrel sort of people, that lived in an idle scandalous manner, a sort of freebooters, that lived upon what they could lay hold on in a way of force and rapine; men of light heads and empty brains, and whose pockets were as light and empty as their heads, and fit to engage in any enterprise, though ever so barbarous, for the sake of a little money.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 9:4. Threescore and ten pieces of silver — Probably shekels; and this was the whole of his exchequer. As he was now usurping the government of God, he begins with a contribution from the idol temple. A work begun under the name and influence of the devil is not likely to end to the glory of God, or to the welfare of man.

Hired vain and light persons — אנשים ריקים ופחזים anashim reykim uphochazim, worthless and dissolute men; persons who were living on the public, and had nothing to lose. Such was the foundation of his Babel government. By a cunning management of such rascals most revolutions have been brought about.


 
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