And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
Study Helps
Interpretation
Abimelech intended to punish the Schechemites for slighting him now, but God punished them for their serving him formerly in the murder of Gideon's sons. When God uses men as instruments in his hand to do his work, he means one thing, and they another.
Read with
This thought runs through Judges 9:34-38.
Glossary
- Abimelech Person
- My father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as “Pharaoh” was of the Egyptian kings. (1. ) The Philistine king of Gerar in the time of Abraham ( Gen. 20:1-18 ).
- Ebed Person
- Slave, the father of Gaal, in whom the men of Shechem “put confidence” in their conspiracy against Abimelech ( Judg. 9:26 , 26, 30, 31).
- Gaal Person
- Loathing, the son of Ebed, in whom the Shechemites “placed their confidence” when they became discontented with Abimelech.
- City People
- The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).