Judges 9:24
in Judges 9in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.
KJV
That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
⋯
This verse in Judges 9
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
After Abimelech had reigned over Israel
on Judges 9:22-24
God sends "a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem," and in the King James the words evil spirit first stand together here, then for Saul at 1 Samuel 16:14. Some read a created spirit on an errand, while Gill and Clarke lean toward suspicion stirred among men under God's rule. Verse 24 lays the blood on the town as well, because Shechem paid for the killing.
This site's exposition
might come to justice
John Gill lists the ways Shechem shared the guilt: the money for the hired men, perhaps words that urged them on, and perhaps killers drawn from the town itself. He reads the sequence as ordered in Providence so that the blood came home. Seventy deaths are laid on two parties.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
20 ), these gathered together, not to prosecute and punish Abimelech for this barbarous murder, as they ought to have done, he being one of their citizens, but to make him king. Pretium sceleris tulit hic diadema--His wickedness was rewarded with a diadem. What could they promise themselves from a king that laid the foundation of his kingdom in blood?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
): That the cruelty done to them might come and their blood be laid as a burden upon Abimelech that slew them, and the men of Shechem that helped him. Sooner or later God will make inquisition for blood, innocent blood, and will return it on the heads of those that shed it, who shall have blood given them to drink, for they are worthy.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
That the cruelty done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come,.... That vengeance might come on the authors of it; so things were ordered in Providence that this might come to pass: and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; be charged to his account, and he suffer for shedding it: and upon the men of Shechem which aided him in killing of his brethren; by giving him money to hire men to go with him to do it, and perhaps by words encouraging the assassins, and who might be of the city of Shechem.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָב֕וֹא | lavo' | to come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| חֲמַ֖ס | chamas | [the] violence of | H2555 → | |
| שִׁבְעִ֣ים | shivim | seventy | H7657 → | 91 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְרֻבָּ֑עַל | yerubaal | Jerub-Baal | H3378 → | 14 times |
| וְדָמָ֗ם | vedamam | and blood their | H1818 → | |
| לָשׂ֞וּם | lasum | to put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ | ʾavimelekh | Abimelech | H40 → | 66 times |
| אֲחִיהֶם֙ | ʾachihem | brother their | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָרַ֣ג | harag | he killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אוֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְעַל֙ | veal | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בַּעֲלֵ֣י | baalei | [the] citizens of | H1167 → | 84 times |
| שְׁכֶ֔ם | shekhem | Shechem | H7927 → | 63 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חִזְּק֥וּ | chizeku | they strengthened | H2388 → | 291 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָדָ֖יו | yadav | hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לַהֲרֹ֥ג | laharog | to kill | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶחָֽיו׃ | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
לָב֕וֹאto come
lavo'H935 →2568 times
חֲמַ֖ס[the] violence of
chamasH2555 →
שִׁבְעִ֣יםseventy
shivimH7657 →91 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יְרֻבָּ֑עַלJerub-Baal
yerubaalH3378 →14 times
וְדָמָ֗םand blood their
vedamamH1818 →
לָשׂ֞וּםto put
lasumH7760 →584 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְAbimelech
ʾavimelekhH40 →66 times
אֲחִיהֶם֙brother their
ʾachihemH251 →630 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָרַ֣גhe killed
haragH2026 →167 times
אוֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְעַל֙and on
vealH5921 →5755 times
בַּעֲלֵ֣י[the] citizens of
baaleiH1167 →84 times
שְׁכֶ֔םShechem
shekhemH7927 →63 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
חִזְּק֥וּthey strengthened
chizekuH2388 →291 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָדָ֖יוhands his
yadavH3027 →1618 times
לַהֲרֹ֥גto kill
laharogH2026 →167 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶחָֽיו׃brothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Esther 9:25But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his…
it leads to
- Psalms 7:16
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 7:16
Through
Psalms 7:16His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
it leads to
- Esther 9:25
But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his…
- Psalms 37:12–13
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
- 1 Kings 2:32
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to…
- Esther 9:25
Through
Numbers 35:33Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the…
it leads to
- Luke 11:50–51
As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world,
- Psalms 106:38
They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.
- Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
- Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
- Luke 11:50–51
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.