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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

Judges 9:22

Abim'elech ruled over Israel 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;
Contemporary English Version
Abimelech had been a military commander of Israel for three years,
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.
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 Abim'elech ruled over Israel three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abim'elech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abim'elech; 24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubba'al might come and their blood be laid upon Abim'elech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers. 25 And the men of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountain tops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abim'elech. 26 And Ga'al the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his kinsmen; and the men of Shechem put confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the field, and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and reviled Abim'elech. 28 And Ga'al the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abim'elech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubba'al and Zebul his officer serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him? 29 Would that this people were under my hand! then I would remove Abim'elech. I would say to Abim'elech, 'Increase your army, and come out.'" 30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga'al the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers to Abim'elech at Aru'mah, saying, "Behold, Ga'al the son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Judges 11:26 - three hundred

Cross-References

Genesis 9:12
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
Genesis 9:13
I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Genesis 9:15
I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:16
When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth."
Genesis 9:19
These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled.
Genesis 9:20
Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard;
Genesis 9:21
and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent.
Genesis 9:25
he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers."
Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.
1 Chronicles 1:8
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.

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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