Judges 9

Commentary

Judges chapter 9 is a narrative of the events that took place after the death of Gideon. After Gideon's death, the Israelites turned away from the Lord and began to worship the false gods of the Canaanites. This led to a civil war between the tribes of Israel. Abimelech, the son of Gideon, wanted to become king of Israel and sought the help of the Shechemites to accomplish this. The Shechemites agreed to help Abimelech and he was made king. Abimelech then proceeded to oppress the people of Shechem and the surrounding cities. He destroyed the city of Shechem and killed all of its inhabitants. He then proceeded to oppress the other cities of the region. The people of Shechem then sought the help of Jotham, the son of Gideon, to avenge the death of their people. Jotham warned the people of Shechem of the consequences of their actions and told them that God would judge them for their wickedness. The people of Shechem ignored Jotham's warning and continued to support Abimelech. As a result, God sent an evil spirit to cause strife between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. This led to a civil war between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. In the end, Abimelech was killed and the people of Shechem were victorious. This chapter serves as a warning to the people of Israel to remain faithful to God and to not turn away from Him. It also serves as a reminder that God will judge those who do evil and will bring justice to those who are oppressed.

Meet the heroes of Judges, 9