Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary
Judges 9:37
The plain of Meonenim - Translate “the oak of the soothsayers” (see the margin). Some well-known oak, so called, but which is not mentioned elsewhere.
The plain of Meonenim - Translate “the oak of the soothsayers” (see the margin). Some well-known oak, so called, but which is not mentioned elsewhere.
Verse 37. _BY THE PLAIN OF MEONENIM._] Some translate, _by the way_ _of the oaks_, or oaken groves; others, _by the way of the magicians_, or _regarders of the times_, as in our _margin_. Probably it...
CHAPTER 9 ABIMELECH THE KING AND HIS WICKEDNESS _ 1. The murder of Gideon's sons (Judges 9:1)_ 2. Jotham's parable (Judges 9:7) 3. Scenes of strife and destruction of Shechem (Judges 9:22) 4. Abim...
THE SEDITION OF THE SHECHEMITES. The statement that Abimelech was prince over Israel is an exaggeration, and the chronological note is probably by R. Judges 9:23. The Shechemites soon tired of the gov...
PLAIN. oak....
_the middle of the land_ THE NAVEL OF THE LAND; this is the traditional meaning of the word, Talm., LXX ὀμφαλός, Vulgate umbilicus. The word only occurs again in Ezekiel 38:12 of the mountains of Isra...
_Gaal stirs up the Shechemites: Abimelech defeats them_ 26 _.Gaal the son of Ebed_ i.e. _of a slave_; but pronounce throughout _Obed_, with LXX. cod. B (Ιωβηλ for Ιωβηδ) and Vulgate; a common name. Ga...
_The Conspiracy of Gaal Judges 9:22-49_ 22 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt tr...
_AND WHEN ZEBUL THE RULER OF THE CITY HEARD THE WORDS OF GAAL THE SON OF EBED, HIS ANGER WAS KINDLED._ No JFB commentary on these verses....
PLAIN OF MEONENIM] lit. 'oak of the soothsayers.' Cp. Genesis 12:6; Judges 4:5. Trees in Palestine often served as landmarks; a conspicuous tree is still regarded as endowed with sanctity....
THE STORY OF ABIMELECH This chapter breaks the regular order of the book, since Abimelech is not thought of as a judge, and the Canaanites are not here regarded as oppressors. The story, however, thr...
LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 9 V1 Abimelech, Jerubbaal’s son, went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem. He spoke to them and he spoke to all his mother’s *tribe. V2 ‘Ask all the...
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE LAND. — Literally, _by the navel of the land._ Probably the expression means some gently-swelling hill, but it perplexed the translators. The Chaldee renders it “the strength,” an...
וַ יֹּ֨סֶף עֹ֣וד גַּעַל֮ לְ דַבֵּר֒ וַ
THE KINDLING FIRE Judges 9:22 Although this is a sordid story, it is set out at length to teach us that _God's_ judgments upon sin are not reserved for some future date, but are continually being adm...
The closing statement of the previous chapter constitutes the introduction to this. The words, "As soon as Gideon was dead" and the declaration that then the people returned to evil courses reveal, fi...
Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years and, though he was wicked, is considered to be the next judge. After that time, God caused a spirit of ill will to arise between the men of Shechem and Abim...
Midst. Hebrew Tabur, here signifies "a little hill, or the navel," which title is given to places which are elevated and in the centre of the country, Ezechiel xxxviii. 12. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii....
One general observation runs through the whole of this history, and meets the Reader in every part of it: namely, that God's judgments, sooner or later, overtake the sinner. The Shechemites are first...
My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 9, 10, 11, AND 12. After Gideon's death we see the results of this distance from God in the internal struggles which took place between the children of Israel...
AND GAAL SPAKE AGAIN, AND SAID,.... Looking towards the mountains, and taking another view of what he before saw, for further satisfaction: SEE, THERE COME PEOPLE DOWN BY THE MIDDLE OF THE LAND; eith...
And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. Ver. 37. _By the plain of Meonenim._] Or, Of the soothsay...
1 Abimelech by conspiracie with the Shechemites, and murder of his brethren, is made King. 7 Iotham by a parable rebuketh them and foretelleth their ruine. 22 Gaal conspireth with the Shechemites ag...
And Gaal spake again and said, See, there come people down by the middle of the land, over the hills in the middle distance. AND ANOTHER COMPANY COME ALONG BY THE PLAIN OF MEONENIM, the Magicians' Gro...
THE DEFEAT OF GAAL...
MIDDLE: _ Heb._ navel MEONENIM: Or, the regarders of times...
30-49 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...
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE LAND, Heb. _by the navel of the land_. So he calls either, first, The middle of it, as the middle part of Greece and of Sicily are called the _navel_ of them by the Roman writers,...
Judges 9:37 Gaal H1603 spoke H1696 (H8763) again H3254 (H8686) said H559 (H8799) people H5971 down...
‘ And Gaal spoke again, and said, “Look, people are coming down along the middle of the land, and one company comes by way of the Diviner's oak.” ' Gaal looked again and now he knew he was right. He s...
CONTENTS: Conspiracy of Abimelech. CHARACTERS: God, Abimelech, Jerubbaal, Jocham, Gaal, Zebul. CONCLUSION: Evil pursues sinners and sometimes overtakes them when they are apparently triumphant. The...
Judges 9:4. _Baal-berith._ Berith signifies a covenant, which those bad people had made with Baal. The Greeks had their ζευς ορκιος, their Jupiter, or their Baal, to which they made vows. Judges 9:5....
JUDGES—NOTE ON JUDGES 9:22 The Shechemites, who had made Abimelech their king (vv. Judges 9:1), eventually rebelled against him (vv....
CHAPTER 9 _ABIMELECH’S TRAGIC BUT BRIEF HISTORY_ (Judges 9:22.) CRITICAL NOTES.— JUDGES 9:22. HAD REIGNED] ruled by _force_ rather than by _natural right_, implying a hard, as opposed to a mild, rul...
EXPOSITION JUDGES 9:22 HAD REIGNED. The Hebrew word here used is quite a different one from that in Judges 9:8, Judges 9:10,...
Now here's what happened. After the death of Gideon, this Abimelech who was the son of his concubine in Shechem. Now you know, they used to say of the sailors "a girl in every port." Well, Gideon had...
Deuteronomy 18:14...