Abimelech (son of Gideon)

Abimelech (son of Gideon) is a judge living before Israel's monarchy. He is named in 37 verses of the Bible, first in Judges 8:31.

Family

Verses

Judges

• Judges 8:31
  And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
• Judges 9:1
  And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother’s brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,
• Judges 9:3
  And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.And when his mother’s brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
• Judges 9:4
  And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal–berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.
• Judges 9:6
  And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo gathered beside the oak at the pillar in Shechem and proceeded to make Abimelech their king.
• Judges 9:16
  Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;Now if you have acted faithfully and honestly in making Abimelech king, if you have done well by Jerubbaal and his family, and if you have done to him as he deserves—
• Judges 9:18
  And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother—
• Judges 9:19
  If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.
• Judges 9:20
  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.But if not, may fire come from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may fire come from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech.”
• Judges 9:21
  And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.Then Jotham ran away, escaping to Beer, and he lived there for fear of his brother Abimelech.
• Judges 9:22
  When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years,
• Judges 9:23
  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
• Judges 9:24
  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.in 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.
• Judges 9:25
  And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
• Judges 9:27
  And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
• Judges 9:28
  And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?
• Judges 9:29
  And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”
• Judges 9:31
  And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
• Judges 9:34
  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
• Judges 9:35
  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.Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places.
• Judges 9:38
  Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”
• Judges 9:39
  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,
• Judges 9:40
  And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate.
• Judges 9:41
  And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
• Judges 9:42
  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.
• Judges 9:44
  And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.
• Judges 9:45
  And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
• Judges 9:47
  And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,
• Judges 9:48
  And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”
• Judges 9:49
  And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.
• Judges 9:50
  Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it.
• Judges 9:52
  And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.
• Judges 9:53
  And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.
• Judges 9:55
  And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.
• Judges 9:56
  Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.
• Judges 10:1
  And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim.After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 11:21
  Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”

Notes

1. Names, family links and verses from STEPBible's Translators Individualised Proper Names (TIPNR), STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0.
2. Where several people share a name, which verses belong to which person, and the family links, follow STEPBible's identifications; some are uncertain and are marked so.