Study Desk

So then, if you have been honest and sincere to Gideon and his family today, be happy with Abimelech as your king. And may he be happy with you!

Then Jotham ran away and escaped to the city of Beer. He lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

Abimelech had killed Gideon's seventy sons, his own brothers, and the leaders of Shechem had helped him. So God sent the evil spirit to punish them.

A man named Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers moved into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem trusted him.

Gaal son of Ebed said, "We are the men of Shechem. Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Isn't he one of Gideon's sons, and isn't Zebul his officer? We should serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father. Why should we serve Abimelech?

As soon as the sun comes up in the morning, attack the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to them."

So Abimelech and all his soldiers got up during the night and hid near Shechem in four groups.

Gaal son of Ebed went out and was standing at the entrance to the city gate. As he was standing there, Abimelech and his soldiers came out of their hiding places.

Abimelech and his men chased them, and many of Gaal's men were killed before they could get back to the city gate.

While Abimelech stayed at Arumah, Zebul forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.

he separated his men into three groups and hid them in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he jumped up and attacked them.

Abimelech and his group ran to the entrance gate to the city. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and struck them down.

Abimelech and his men fought the city of Shechem all day until they captured it and killed its people. Then he tore it down and threw salt over the ruins.

So he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon, near Shechem. Abimelech took an ax and cut some branches and put them on his shoulders. He said to all those with him, "Hurry! Do what I have done!"

but as he came near, a woman dropped a grinding stone on his head, crushing his skull.

He quickly called to the officer who carried his armor and said, "Take out your sword and kill me. I don't want people to say, ‘A woman killed Abimelech.'" So the officer stabbed Abimelech, and he died.

In that way God punished Abimelech for all the evil he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

Jephthah was a strong soldier from Gilead. His father was named Gilead, and his mother was a prostitute.

Gilead's wife had several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave his home, saying to him, "You will not get any of our father's property, because you are the son of another woman."

So Jephthah ran away from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. There some worthless men began to follow him.