Study Desk

And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? isn't he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? You serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve him?

And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

And he sent messengers to Abimelech craftily, saying, Look, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem; and, see, they are inciting the city against you.

And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

And Abimelech went up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took axes in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder: and he said to the people that were with him, What you have seen me do, hurry, and do as I have done.

And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire on them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

And a certain woman cast an upper millstone on Abimelech's head, and broke his skull.

Then he called hastily to the young man his armorbearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword, and kill me. Or else men will say of me, A woman slew him." And his attendant thrust him through, and he died.

And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man to his place.

Thus God returned the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in slaying his seventy brothers;

And they put away the foreign gods from among them, and served Yahweh; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and when his wife's sons grew up, they drove out Jephthah, and said to him, You shall not inherit in our father's house; for you are the son of another woman.

Then Jephthah fled from his brothers, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain fellows to Jephthah, and they went out with him.

Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.

But Sihon didn't trust Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

And Yahweh, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

So now Yahweh, the God of Israel, has dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and should you possess them?

So Jephthah passed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and Yahweh delivered them into his hand.

And Jephthah came to Mizpah to his house; and saw that his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only [child]; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.