Footnotes

1. masters. The Hebrew word is ba’al. Although this does mean master in a neutral sense in other parts of scripture, this is the only chapter in Judges where the word is used this way, with the exception of Judges 19:22–23; elsewhere, terms like “principal” or “men” are almost universally used instead, making this particular choice rather striking. The masters of Shekhem are little ba’als, taking after their namesake in opposing Gideon and his house. ↩

2. ruling upon you of seventy men…or of one man? James Jordan makes the insightful observation here that, “The true Godly system is one God, but many diversified human rulers. The pagan system is one statist rule, but as many idols and gods as you wish.” ↩

3. Yerub-Ba’al. The emphasis here is clearly not just on the undesirable number of men but also on the fact that every one of them is a son of the Ba’al contender. Avi-Melek is addressing Ba’al worshipers, and does not say, “all sons of Gideon.” ↩

4. bone. The Hebrew word for bone also means “very” or “same,” as in Genesis 7:3: “In that very/same day went in Noah…unto the ark.” ↩

5. stretched forth. This may be a pun to emphasize the sinful partiality of Shekhem’s tribalism; the word “stretched” is the same word generally translated tribe, as in the twelve tribes of Israel. ↩

6. Ba’al Berith. Or “master of the covenant.” The money is coming from the temple of their Yahweh replacement; the destruction of Yerub-Ba’al’s house is financed by Ba’al, emphasizing the ongoing spiritual war of which this politicking is merely an embodiment. We should not forget that Shekhem was the former site of the tabernacle of Yahweh; this has now been replaced with the house of Ba’al Berith. ↩

7. frothing. The word in Hebrew carries a dual connotation of both lightness and dangerousness, as in the bubbling of boiling water. ↩

8. slew his brothers. Here we see the logical end of Gideon’s sin. “There would have been no Abimelech had Gideon lived faithfully with one wife, and no tendency toward kingship if Gideon had effectively cut it off” (Jordan). ↩

9. upon one stone. This detail, repeated in verse 18, emphasizes again that this is fundamentally spiritual warfare between Ba’al and Yahweh. Just as Gideon offered his father’s bull to Yahweh, Avi-Melek offers his father’s sons to Ba’al. ↩

10. Yotham remained. Here is an example of the curious threads that God weaves into his narratives: the word “remained” is yeter; the name of Gideon’s eldest son, who proved too fearful to execute the kings of Midian. Yotham in turn is from the root meaning perfect; a term he uses repeatedly in his challenge to the masters of Shekhem. There is a strange irony or even reversal here, in that Yotham fearfully—but in this case perfectly wisely—hides, and thus becomes yeter: he remains. I don’t know exactly what to make of this, but it is an intriguing detail that is worth knowing. ↩

11. littlest. I.e., the youngest. Here is another instance of the motif of the younger son, prefiguring Jesus, the younger brother of Adam. ↩

12. Beyt Millo. “House of the Rampart.” Is it not clear how to translate this. It may be saying that the house of Millo, whoever they were, was in cahoots with Shekhem; or Beyt Millo may refer to Shekhem itself by way of synecdoche (where the part—in this case the tower—stands in for the whole); or Beyt Millo could be the Israelite faction within Shekhem (assuming the “masters of Shekhem” are the Canaanites; vice versa if not). ↩

13. came and kinged Avi-Melek king. This is the best I can do to bring out just how emphatically the Hebrew underscores this event. The phrase is a series of similar-sounding words: yalak alongside various forms of melekh, and most literally meaning they “came and kinged My-Father-is-King king.” I have chosen to make king a verb here, since English is perfectly capable of handling such a thing without any confusion around what it means, even though it is not technically a “proper” word. Grammar your high school teacher would approve of is far less important than bringing out the singular nature of this event in the text; a turning-point that links with the repeated emphasis in the final chapters that “there was no king in Israel.” ↩

14. beside the oak of the post that was in Shekhem. The irony and treachery of this event is emphasized in that it took place directly next to the stone that Joshua set up as a witness against Israel that they had chosen Yahweh as their king (Josh 24:26–27). It is difficult to overstate the barefaced audacity, which cannot be fully appreciated without re-reading all of Joshua 24. ↩

15. Mount Gerizim. Strangely, mount Gerizim is where the blessings on Israel were pronounced in Deuteronomy 27; it was on mount Ebal, across the valley, that the curses were given. Why does Yotham pronounce his curse upon the mount of blessing? Perhaps to show that even the blessings of Israel have turned to curses? ↩

16. Going went. This is a Hebrew formula equivalent to “once upon a time.” ↩

17. And said… Because this is a proverbial tale, I am following the Hebrew verb order in this case, to give it the appropriate spirit in English. ↩

18. forbear. I.e., to cease or refrain from. ↩

19. give weight. Traditionally “glorify,” but the Hebrew literally refers to mass of substance. ↩

20. to God. Or “gods,” but this is less consistent with Yotham’s usage in the rest of this passage. ↩

21. flutter upon the trees. The ESV translates this “hold sway” over the trees, which sounds very apt, but I greatly doubt it is the same idea that Yotham is actually conveying. The verb here is first used of Cain, who was to be a flitter (fugitive) and a wanderer in the land (Gen 4:12, 14). It is also used of the people of Israel fluttering at Sinai (trembling or quaking; Ex 20:18); of Hannah’s lips fluttering (moving when she prays silently; 1 Sam 1:13); and of fluttering instruments (castanets or sistrums or rattles; 2 Sam 6:5). There is no English word that perfectly captures this full range of meaning, but the general idea is of a to-and-fro movement, a wavering or vacillating. I do not believe that the image here is of a king “holding sway;” in fact, it suggests a futile and piffling movement, so the picture that springs to mind is not of a decisive ruler, but of a feckless and vacillating one. Indeed, if you apply a little further biblical symbolism and remember that the hand is the symbol of power—recall how Israel has been given into the hand of all these various nations—then what does fluttering your hand upon a situation symbolize? Certainly not kingship, but in fact the very opposite: if that is “kingly,” then putting your head back and doggy-paddling at someone who is threatening to strike you is “soldierly.” Thus the view that Yotham conveys of Avi-Melek’s kingship essentially matches the empty and frothing men who killed his brothers: unstable and reckless. He is not, of course, impugning the true office of kingship, but rather indicating by his word picture precisely that the Shekhemites have no true kingship. Since they are not interested in Yahweh’s kingship, of which any human king, to be a true king, must be a deputy; and since they want Ba’al’s kingship instead, this leaves them with a fluttering, frothing buffoon who will soon destroy them and himself. ↩

22. fresh-pressed wine. This is only one word in the Hebrew, but is not the regular word for wine; rather, it refers to wine which has been recently trodden out. Most Bibles translate this “new wine,” but the root is from the word to press, not the word new. ↩

23. trueness. Not really truth, as many Bibles have it, but rather true-ness: the moral quality the Beetles sang about in All My Loving: “Remember I’ll always be true.” A good paraphrase would be, “if in good faith ye anoint me king.” ↩

24. come forth. Take heed to how come/go forth is used throughout the rest of this chapter; the initial use here sets a certain connotation that is necessary for rightly understanding what such a generally innocuous and ubiquitous term means. ↩

25. life. Or “soul.” ↩

26. Be’er. “Pit,” and by analogy “well”—but for Yotham, it is a pit. “Beer,” as most Bibles transliterate it, is a travesty; he did not dwell in a drink made from fermented cereal. ↩

27. principaled. Alter suggests, “lorded it over.” The verb comes from sar, “principal” (often “prince” in translation tradition)—but it is only used this once in this form. I am not sure it connotes lording per se, but it is natural to see that connotation contextually, given that this three years under Avi-Melek is the corollary of the previous times of servitude under the Cushite, Eglon, Yabin, and Midian. The chief purpose of this word, however, seems to me to emphasize that he did not have kingship, despite being “kinged king.” ↩

28. a spirit of badness. The word ra’a does not mean “evil,” as most Bibles have it, but simply “bad.” Obviously this refers in many cases to moral evil, as in the formula through the first several chapters of Judges in which the sons of Israel add to “do the bad” in the eyes of Yahweh. But to translate it “evil” would be to explain the text, not to represent it. The truth is that we don’t know what kind of badness is in view here; to infer that it is a quality inhering in the spirit itself, rather than a quality that it produces between Avi-Melek and the masters of Shekhem, is not justified. A similar situation arises in 1 Kings 22:22–23, where a member of the heavenly court proposes and is commissioned to be a “false spirit” in the mouths of Achav’s prophets. Although we do see evil spirits being commissioned by the heavenly court (Satan himself in Job 1 and 2), it is implausible to think that evil spirits would volunteer to undo the work of wresting God’s kingdom from him; rather, these are faithful spirits who, like God, “twine with the twisted” (Ps 18:26). Thus, we should not translate this an evil spirit, nor even a bad spirit, but a spirit of badness. A “bad spirit” sounds oddly colloquial, since it is semi-idiomatic in English, and also therefore may imply that this could be merely a providentially-arranged personality conflict, which is not the case; or that the spirit is evil, which is also not the case in my view. A “a spirit of badness” more closely follows the form of the Hebrew text and avoids these difficulties. ↩

29. did covertly. This is a single verb in Hebrew, with a root meaning to cover. It is the same word typically used of garments. The key idea is the hiddenness of what the masters of Shekhem are doing. We have several similar idioms in English: they are keeping their intent under wraps, acting shady, and even playing cloak and dagger. The best paraphrase in my opinion is that they are being “underhanded,” but the best representation of the Hebrew is that they are dealing “covertly,” since this retains the root to “cover.” ↩

30. their blood to be set. This is the second thing “set” in regard to Avi-Melek; the first being his name (Jdg 8:31). The appellation of false kingship upon him ultimately leads to bloodguilt upon him. ↩

31. lyings-in-wait. Would that we had a word in English for such a simple verb. Ambush comes close, but is too specific, as becomes obvious by comparing the other uses of lying in wait throughout this chapter. ↩

32. Ga’al. “Loathing.” ↩

33. Eved. “Servant” (often of a bond-servant; i.e. “slave;” but the root means to serve). ↩

34. confidence. The same word used in Judges 8:11; there is a continuing motif of the wicked allowing their own destruction through foolish (over-)confidence. As in chapter 8, the word implies security; the masters of Shekhem are trusting not just in Ga’al’s loyalty to them, but more, in him having a role in keeping them safe. ↩

35. reduced. I.e., they cursed him; but this is a more general word than the Hebrew term for curse, and really means to “make small.” We could therefore read this as, “they belittled Avi-Melek,” or “they despised Avi-Melek” (cf. Genesis 16:4, where Sarai is “reduced” in Hagar’s eyes). A fine example of the range of this word is found in Genesis 8, where the waters are “reduced” from off the land (vv. 8, 11), and God then promises to never “reduce” the land again for man’s sake (v. 21). ↩

36. that we should serve him? In Hebrew, “that we should eved him?” The text signals some irony here given who is speaking. ↩

37. overseer. A general term for someone put in charge as a deputy, lieutenant or supervisor. Given the tone, one could read this sneeringly as “lackey.” ↩

38. Chamor. “Donkey.” Chamor was the original ruler of Shekhem in Jacob’s time (Gen 34:2). ↩

39. And I would say. Or, “And he said unto Avi-Melek” (MT). This seems a less likely reading than the LXX, which I am following, given that in the next verse Avi-Melek does not appear to have heard him, and only hears about these words through Zevul. Ga’al appears here to be drunkenly boasting within the confines of the celebration, rather than broadcasting a challenge directly to Avi-Melek through his overseer. ↩

40. multiply. A pregnant word in Hebrew, where its head is Genesis 1:22; cf. Gen 17:2 etc. ↩

41. Arumah. The received text says, “in guile.” I am supposing a scribal error of one letter here, since Zevul is not acting with guile toward Avi-Melek, and it seems confusingly indirect to suppose that he is acting with guile toward Ga’al. It is not impossible—we could read this as him sending messengers sneakily—but given that Avi-Melek is indeed seen dwelling in Arumah in v. 41, I judge it more likely that the received text has substituted a tav for an aleph. See the translation note in the NET, and compare Alter’s translation. ↩

42. they are enclosing. A curious choice of words; this is the term that most often means to besiege, though it refers to any kind of binding or constraining, as of money in the hand in Deuteronomy 14:25. I believe “enclose” is a good neutral translation that covers this semantic range, and is perfectly explicable here without the need for glosses like “stirring up the city against you.” Young takes this to mean “fortify,” as in preparing to be besieged, similar to the ESV’s note, “closing up the city against you.” Taken literally, this gets the situation exactly backwards; but taken metaphorically, with the city standing in for the hearts of its people, it is apt. ↩

43. lie in wait. The tables are turned, as the masters of Shekhem who previously set lyings-in-wait for Avi-Melek now get lain-in-waited for (English is terrible). ↩

44. in the field. There is a curious contrast here, since the masters of Shekhem set liers-in-wait on the heads of the mountains, while Avi-Melek lies in wait in the field. Perhaps the contrast is a way of illustrating that these two groups could never mix or cooperate, like mountains and valleys. There is further reversal in that it is the field from which they recently gathered their grapes for the festival that now becomes a trap to them. ↩

45. as the sun dawns. An ironic allusion to Gideon’s return from victory out of the ascent of the sun (Jdg 8:13), although the words for sun and dawn here are not the same. Zevul appears to have internalized enough good theology, perhaps through Avi-Melek, taught by Gideon, to know that victory comes at sunrise. But he is self-deceived, for the wicked can expect no lasting victory. ↩

46. tear upon. The Hebrew here says “strip upon,” seemingly an idiom for rushing upon it suddenly, as one strips the skin from an animal in a single rapid movement. I don’t think we can stretch the English word strip this far, so I have chosen a synonym that is often used idiomatically to refer to breakneck running. ↩

47. four heads. I.e., four companies or columns. This appears to be a traditional number, reflecting a standard military stratagem; but it also symbolically reflects a total domination, as four is the number of cosmic completion and rulership; there are four corners to the world or a house, four winds, four kingdoms and beasts before Christ, four living creatures, four faces to each, four horses and horsemen, four watches of the night, etc. Similarly, the luminaries, celestial rulers of which human kings are an earthly image, are created on day four. ↩

48. descending from the heads of the mountains. Whereas before the masters of Shekhem lay in wait for Avi-Melek on the heads of the mountains, now the tables are turned. ↩

49. navel of the land. The term seems to function as the Hebrew equivalent of the Latin umbilicus mundi or Greek omphalos in Ezekiel 38:12—the only other place it occurs. Alter translates it heartland, and Young thinks it means the highland. Ezekiel 38 does suggest the latter view, but I suppose it depends on whether innies or outies were the norm in ancient Israel. ↩

50. oak of diviners. This could be read as a place name, Elon Meonenim, but given the progression that follows, it seems more likely to be referring specifically to the oak after which this place would be named. As I read it, this oak is close enough for Ga’al to see it, which indicates how blind and lackadaisical he has been in discerning what is actually happening. Avi-Melek’s forces are closing in rapidly and he is unreactive until it is too late. ↩

51. war with him. The same term used in Judges 1:1, when Israel asks God who shall ascend first against the Kana’anite. ↩

52. pierced. A tricky word that also refers to windows (i.e., piercings in a wall; Jdg 5:28), and to dancing (Jdg 11:34). ↩

53. tore in. See note on verse 33. ↩

54. and the people that were in it he slew. The Hebrew is deliberately phrased as I have rendered it, so that as we read, it seems that he captured the city and the people that were in it—before suddenly we discover the final verb. ↩

55. sowed it with salt. Avi-Melek thinks he is God, reducing Shekhem to an infertile plain like Sodom. ↩

56. vault. The meaning of this word is uncertain; it appears three times here in Judges 9, and once in 1 Samuel 13:6, where again it is a hiding place, paralleled with caves, thickets, rocks and pits. It is thus almost certainly not a high place, as some translations have it, for these other hiding places are all symbolically in the earth: Israel in 1 Samuel 13 is returning to the dirt, as God promised Adam he would in death. It seems likely therefore that this word is referring to some kind of underground vault or cellar (so the LEB). To call it a stronghold implies far too much, but the KJV’s simpler “hold” is pretty good too, and Alter’s “redoubt” is serviceable. I suspect, given the symbolic cues in both places where this word appears, that it may refer to something like a crypt, but it could also be the inner sanctum of the temple of the god Berith, who is of course Ba’al Berith. ↩

57. the god Berith. Many translations render this El-Berith, a place name, but this is obtuse; it means “the god Berith” (or “the god of the covenant”), which is certainly synonymous with Ba’al Berith, the halfbreed deity that started all this trouble, and financed Avi-Melek from his house in the first place. This irony is entirely lost if we treat this as a place-name. El Berith used here instead of Ba’al Berith to intensify the irony: the word el particularly connotes power—the very thing this god lacks. ↩

58. Tsalmon. “Shady,” or “shadow,” though not the same word used of the shadow of the mountain in verse 36. Avi-Melek cuts down the shady trees on this hill in order to destroy by them the bramble-trees that have locked themselves in the tower. There is no refuge in his shade (verse 15). ↩

59. one of the axes. The received text says only “the axes,” which is difficult to make sense of. Young reads this as a plural of amplification, rendering it “the great axe,” but I am following the LXX on the assumption that it uses an older source, from which a word was later dropped by accident. ↩

60. bough. This word is only used here in Judges 9, but it is a homonym with the word from which we get the name Sukot (Succoth), which refers to something shady, like the cloudy canopy of trees, or a booth or hut. I am not sure why this particular word is used here, but its uniqueness does suggest a significance that I am missing. At the very least, the text appears to draw a connection between what Gideon did with Sukot in chapter 8, and what Avi-Melek is doing with Shekhem in chapter 9, since “shoulder” is shekhem in Hebrew. ↩

61. bore it up. The same word used of Yotham bearing up his voice in verse 7. ↩

62. his shoulder. The Hebrew word is shekhem. ↩

63. hasten, do as that I have. The haste with which Avi-Melek urges his men is echoed in the flurry of verbs describing his own action. ↩

64. kindled. This is only the third occurrence of this word in scripture; its head is in two prior uses in Joshua 8:8, 19, referring to the ritual devotion of Ai to God. Cf. Joshua 6:17, 24. ↩

65. kindled upon them the vault in fire. Avi-Melek acts out with surprising literalness the curse of Yotham. ↩

66. Tevets. (Thebes) “Conspicuous.” ↩

67. shut it on them. The same phrase used of Ehud’s blade shutting on Eglon’s fat, and Ehud shutting the doors on Eglon. ↩

68. ascended upon. In Hebrew there is assonance and alliteration here: waya’alu al. We could replicate this in English with “went up upon,” though that then loses the connection to other “ascensions,” which is symbolically significant here. ↩

69. drew near. The same phrase used of Gideon drawing near to present his offering to God in Judges 6:19. The word in Hebrew seems to specifically connote approaching God; its head is Genesis 18:23, where Abraham draws near to enter God’s council for the first time. Thus by implication it is connected with divine judgment. But Avi-Melek draws near presumptuously, to offer an unworthy sacrifice in his own name—and will be killed for it. ↩

70. burn. The standard word used for burning sacrifices throughout the Torah. ↩

71. ride-slice. An idiom for the upper millstone, a slice of stone which is mounted upon the lower stone and rides over it, being turned with a handle to grind the grain between them. A “ride-slice” was around two inches thick and a foot or so in diameter, so it could weigh in excess of 10 kg (about 25 lb). ↩

72. pestled. I.e., crushed or ground. This is different to the regular word for grinding, having more implication of pounding as well as crushing. Its head is Genesis 25:22, speaking of Jacob and Esau within Rebekah: “And the sons pestled in her inwards.” It is most often used of a ruler oppressing or grinding down a people, as in Judges 10:8. ↩

73. skull. The Hebrew word generally just means head, but it is a different word than rosh, which is used earlier in the sentence, so I have translated it slightly more dynamically to expose this distinction. If we take the full gamut of usage across history into account, skull may be the better translation in any case: where rosh connotes the beginning, source, and integration point of a thing, this word, gulgolet, refers to the roundness of the head, and evidently this connotation extended to evoking the bone itself; hence, all four gospels record that Golgotha means the place of the skull (kranion). ↩

74. trappings-bearer. The traditional translation of “amorbearer” is difficult to justify, either on grounds of representing the text, or explaining it. “Armorbearer” is a misleading term, since the job does not involve bearing only, or even primarily armor. More importantly, the Hebrew term is literally his “keli-bearer,” and keli is a very general term, much like the English word thing. “Things-bearer,” however, is obviously infelicitous. Since keli derives from a root that means to complete or spend, we could happily translate this as “implements-bearer.” However, the head of the word is Genesis 24:53: “And the servant brought forth keli of silver and keli of gold and clothing.” To say “implements of silver” here plainly rubs against the meaning; something like jewelry is surely in view. Hence, trappings is the better translation, being an excellent general term for “articles of equipment or dress, esp. of an ornamental or symbolic character” (Webster’s College Dictionary). ↩

75. put me to death. Literally “die me.” In English, “die” is unfortunately only reflexive; you can die, but someone cannot die you. To say kill, however, would obliterate the connection to other uses of the word die/death. ↩

76. lest they say of me, ‘A woman slew him.’ Ironically, Avi-Melek’s pride over how he dies is recorded in scripture and thus becomes proverbial, as Yoav shows when he anticipates David’s disapproval in 2 Samuel 11:21: “Who smote Avi-Melek son of Yerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast upon him a ride-slice from upon the wall, and he died in Tevets?” ↩

77. And his lad thrust him through and he died. Notably, Avi-Melek’s lad is made of sturdier stuff than Gideon’s son Yeter, who “drew not his sword to kill the kings of Midian, in that he feared, in that he was still a lad” (Jdg 8:20). The text seems calculated to evoke this comparison, but even this does not come out in Avi-Melek’s favor; Gideon’s son Yeter was afraid to perform even a righteous execution, indicating a tender conscience; but the men that Avi-Melek surrounds himself with are unafraid to perform even an unrighteous execution of their own ostensible king. ↩

78. his standing. I.e., his place or station. ↩

79. came in upon them the reducing. See note on verse 27. ↩