Abimelech appears before Shechem. Gaal’s defeat and expulsion.
Jdg_9:31-41
31And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed, and his brethren, be come to Shechem; and behold, they fortify [excite] the city against thee. 32Now therefore up by night, thou, and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set [move] upon the city; and behold, when [omit: when] he and the people that is with him [will] come out against [to] thee, [and] then mayest [shalt] thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. 34And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against [near] Shechem in four companies. 35And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering [at the entrance] of the gate of the city: and [lo!] Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait 36[from their place of ambush]. And when [omit: when] Gaal saw the people, [and] he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top [tops] of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 37And Gaal spake again, and said, See, there [also] come people down by the middle [from the height] of the land, and another [one] company come along by the plain of Meonenim [cometh from the way of the Magicians’ Grove]. 38Then 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. 39And Gaal went out before [at the head of]the men [lords] of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded 41[many fell slain], even unto the entering [entrance] of the gate. And Abimelech dwelt [remained] at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
EXEGETICAL AND DOCTRINAL
Jdg_9:31. And he sent secretly,
áְּúָøְîָä
. Although the form
úָּøְîָä
(cf.
úַּøְîִéú
) is an unusual one, the connection suggests, not the name of a place, but the fact that Zebul, though “prefect of the city,” concealed his measure from the citizens. The messengers whom he sent must have gone “secretly” (as the Sept. and Targum translate), since Gaal had not learned of their going (Jdg_9:36). How were such intercourse, as Jdg_9:36 implies, possible between Zebul and Gaal, if Zebul’s coöperation with Abimelech against Gaal had been publicly known? Nor is Zebul to be regarded as one of Abimelech’s generals, but as a Shechemite magistrate, who is incensed because Gaal plots his own overthrow. It may be confidently assumed that if
úָּøְîָä
were the name of a place, Jdg_9:34 would read: “And Abimelech rose up,
îִúָּøְîָä
, from Tormah.”
úָּøְîָä
, however, conveys not only the idea of secrecy, but of secrecy combined with deceit, secret deceit; and such was certainly the character of Zebul’s Acts 20 It is also to be noticed that in his message Zebul does not accuse the city, but only Gaal as exciting the city against Abimelech. As magistrate, he does not wish to bring the wrath of Abimelech upon the city, but only upon his rival. Very graphic is the expression
öָøִéí
, commonly used of besiegers. Gaal and his brethren, says Zebul, press the city like besiegers, to induce it to rise against thee. Their expulsion is therefore all that is necessary. But since this is not the whole truth—for Shechem, as we have seen, first elected Gaal because it had already offended against Abimelech—it is evident that Zebul s policy of exciting Abimelech against Gaal only, is dictated by regard to his own interests.
Jdg_9:32-41. And move upon the city. The place of Abimelech’s abode is not given; but he was in the midst of his army. He must have been some distance from Shechem, since he needed a part of the night (Jdg_9:32) to get within easy reach of it. He is to place himself in ambush, so as not to be prematurely observed. Abimelech follows the counsel. In the morning, Gaal and Zebul naturally betake themselves to the gate of the city: Gaal, because it had become his business to watch over Shechem; Zebul, because of his office as magistrate. Gaal, who has no misgivings—for he has slept away the effects of the wine—sees troops descending from the mountains. Zebul thinks it yet too soon to tell him the truth; he will give Abimelech time first to bring up all his forces; and therefore deceives and at the same time mocks Gaal by saying, “It is the shadow of the mountains that thou seest.” Immediately, however, a body of troops is seen advancing whose identity as such cannot be mistaken. By the “tops of the mountains” we are to understand the more distant mountains; by the “height (
èַáּåּø
) of the land”,; a nearer hill, in the immediate vicinity of the city (the “navel” of the land); and by the “Elon Meonenim,” a dusky forest (“Magicians’ Grove”), against the near horizon. From all these points commanding the avenues to the city troops of soldiers advanced, to the consternation of Gaal and the surprise of the citizens. Now Zebul throws off his mask, and reminds Gaal of his previous audacity. The latter is compelled to try his fortunes in battle. At the head of the “lords of Shechem,” he marches out against Abimelech. But he is far from being a match for him. He is utterly unable to stand his ground. A terrible rout begins. Gaal saves himself through the open gate; but the road, up to the very threshold of the gate, is covered with the slain. His boasting has a miserable end. His authority is gone. Zebul, who previously did not dare insist on his expulsion, now carries it through. He persuades the timid and terrified Shechemites that they will thus allay the anger of Abimelech. He believes it himself; for he has, carefully thrown the whole blame on Gaal. Abimelech’s conduct seems to favor this persuasion; for he does not prosecute the attack, but retires to Arumah. But what a delusion! The banished Gaal is the only one who escapes destruction.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
[Bp. Hall: Never any man was so ill, as not to have some favorers: Abimelech hath a Zebul in the midst of Shechem. Lightly all treasons are betrayed, even with some of their own.—Henry: Proud and haughty people are often made, in a little time, to dread those whom they had most despised. Justly are the insolent thus insulted over.—The same: Most people judge of men’s fitness for business by their success, and he that does not speed well, is concluded not to do well. Gaal’s interest in Shechem is soon at an end, nor do we ever hear of him any more.—Tr.]
Footnotes:
[Keil “
áְּúָּøְîָä
: either with deceit (
úָּøְîָä
, from
øָîָä
), i. e. exercising deceit, inasmuch as he had listened quietly and apparently with approbation to the speech of Gaal; or, in Tormah,—noting a locality,—in which case
úָּøְîָä
would be an error of transcription for
àֲøåּîָä = àøîã
(ver 41). The LXX. and the Targum take the word as a common noun:
Ýí êñöῇ
, secretly; so Raschi, and most of the older expositors, while R. Kimchi. the Elder, decides for its being a nom. propr. No certain decision can be arrived at.”—Tr.]
The site of Arumah cannot be definitely determined. The probability, however, is that it was somewhere on the hills, not in the immediate vicinity of Shechem, but yet near enough for the sudden assault on Shechem which followed.
