ABIMELECH’S CONSPIRACY Gideon was a man of faith; yet, after his death, came his corrupt son, Abimelech, who provoked the people of Chechem – his mother’s family – to help him kill his seventy brothers to reign. His reign lasted only three years, which came to an end by a conspiracy against him, and a chastisement over the people of Shechem for what they did. 1- Abimelech kills his seventy brothers 1 - 6 2- Jotham talks to the people of Shechem 7 - 21 3- The people of Shechem conspire against Abimelech 22 - 25 4- The defeat of Gaal the son of Ebed 26 - 41 5- Abimelech strikes Shechem 42 – 49 6- Abimelech killed by a woman 50 – 57 1- ABIMELECH KILLS HIS SEVENTY BROTHERS: “Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one https://coptic-treasures.com/ reign over you? ’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone’.” And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother” (1 - 3) All the qualifications of Abimelech were: “I am your own flesh and bone” (2)..And the logic of the people of Shechem (both Israelites and Canaanites), was “He is our brother!” (3); namely a fellow citizen of our city;, who would never oppose us, but support us when he reigns.. Namely, the public service turns into compliments to the account of blood ties, and personal relationships Abimelech was Gideon’s son from a concubine from Shechem of an influential tribe, most probably Canaanite. Knowing that he had no right to inherit like his brothers, on account of being born by a concubine, he was more bound to his mother’s family, who were also prejudiced with him against his brothers. Here the love of authority appearing in Abimelech’s life, made him kill all his brothers on one stone except for ‘Jotham’ who hid himself. His short reign, filled with disturbances, ended up being murdered himself. …………… In other words, While Gideon’s heart did not bear longing for authority, or love of honor, he has been successful to accomplish his mission, and the land was quiet for forty years; during which he, his men, and all the people lived with their heads lifted up before the Midianites; the days of his son, on the other hand, being evil, and for his love of authority, he, together with his city and all the people were led to perdition. What we say about Abimelech, we also repeat concerning the choice of any shepherd or minister in the Lord’s vineyard. According to St. Augustine: [I wish all those who are preoccupied in ministry, keep themselves away from the love of honor, and the appearances of power]. And according to St. John Chrysostom: [Those who belong to Christ tend to destroy His kingdom, more so than His adversaries and opponents; through https://coptic-treasures.com/ choosing whom is not worthy of ministry…. It would not be feasible for them to apologize for not knowing him beforehand; for that would rather increase the weight of their guilt. …….. He who intend to by a slave, will he not let a physician examine him, seek guarantees from the seller; enquire from his neighbors concerning his reputation; and after all that, would put him under probation for a certain period?! ………… But when the congregation of God intend to choose someone for such a great mission of ministry, they do it slothfully and negligently, merely as a favor for some?! ……….. Who will intercede for them on the day of judgment?! “ So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal- Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself .And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem” (4 – 6) If Abimelech erred because of his love of authority, the Ephramites, who dwelt in Shechem also did for receiving him a king, according to the request of his pagan family. Here, both the king and the subjects erred: the former in his love of human honor; and the later in their bad choice. They were killed in ‘Ophrah’ which means (a deer), or (of dust); and all the men of Sechem gathered together, and made Abimelech king . That was the first time we hear of a king from among the children of Israel; even though he was not a king over all the tribes; but his kingdom seemed to be limited to Shechem and some of the cities around; ……He was therefore not counted as a king over Israel, not like Saul or David. https://coptic-treasures.com/ He was enthroned beside the terebinth tree, considered as a holy sanctuary by the Canaanites, who worshipped their gods near it; By the Israelites who cherished it for their father Jacob hid the foreign gods and the earrings under it (Genesis 35: 4); And under it Joshua set the stone of testimony (Joshua 24: 26);; According to some that terebinth tree was used as a pillar on which the Canaanites set their banner. 2- JOTHAM TALKS TO THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM: “Jotham” is a Hebrew word meaning (Jehovah is perfect), Having been informed by some, how Abimelech, who killed his brothers, was reigned a king by the people of Shechem; he went to Shechem to rebuke them on their bad choice , and on killing his brothers without a cause…… We know that the Valley in which Shechem (Nables) is located, is between Mount Gerzim, and Mount Ebal. On the former, in the days of Joshua, half the tribes of Israel stood to utter the blessings; and on the later, the other half stood to utter the curses (Joshua 8: 33-35). Jotham stood on Mount Gerzim to talk as though on a podium. the sound in the desert could resonate loud enough to be heard afar.. He used a parable of ‘the trees and the bramble’, on one aspect, in a vague, yet an attractive way, to exhort them to listen, and to reconsider their position; then gave it a painful ending; And on another aspect he could proclaim the bitterness in his soul, without mentioning any specific names. ………..And in case, it so happens that they are stirred up against him, he could flee to hide in one of the many caves of the mountain, where they could not find him. “Jotham went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out, and he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you! https://coptic-treasures.com/ The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’ (7 – 10). What is this olive tree but the living church, or in a better terms the believer bound to the church, and planted in her as an olive tree, As the Psalmist says: “I am like a green olive tree in the house of God” (Psalm 52: 8); and as the prophet Jeremiah says: ”The Lord called your name Green Olive Tree, lovely and of good fruit” (Jeremiah 11: 16). For the believer, fruitful by the Spirit, already being full inside, will not seek authority; and even in case he is approached to reign, he would serve God and people by the inner oil of grace, rather than be preoccupied with the outer appearances, however honorable they may be. He would say, together with the olive tree: “Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?” (10). What would bring joy to the heart of the olive tree, more than to be honored by its fellow trees, is to give its oil in the golden lampstand to burn before the altar of God, to give it (as medicine) to heal men, and as food to satisfy them. “Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over trees?’” (10,11) Like the olive tree, the fig tree refers to the living church that embraces its members inside it like tiny seeds, by the cover of the spirit of love and sweet unity, according to the words of St. John Chrysostom; Namely the fig tree would rather hold fast to the sweet cover, or the spirit of love and unity, to give good fruit to everyone, instead of being preoccupied with the temporal honors, that tear the unity apart, and take love away from the holy congregation. https://coptic-treasures.com/ ““Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’” (12, 13) If the olive tree desired to give its oil to burn and be consumed for the sake of God and men; and the fig tree, to give the spirit of love and unity, for the sake of the satisfaction of everyone; The vine, as well, representing the church, being the house of the cross, where the grapes are squeezed to produce new wine; rejoices in the cross and passion, to give pleasure to God and men, and prefers to walk the rough way and the narrow door for the sake of the Lord and the salvation of men (Matthew 7: 14). Through the cross, namely the winepress, the vine produces wine used as a drink offering to be poured upon the daily offering (Exodus 29: 38-40); which refers to God’s rejoice bound to the sacrifice of Christ, or to our comfort melded with the afflictions for the sake of the Lord. “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’. And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!’” (14, 15) The bramble is a plant with thorns, which abound in the hot regions, and need only little water to grow. The bramble sought from the other trees to come and take shelter in its shade, even though the other trees are taller and bigger than itself. Besides, the bramble has sharp leaves and thorns that make it difficult to take shade under it. And being almost dry, it is prone to burning by heat, and cause the other plants close to it to burn as well. So Jotham likens Abimelech to the bramble, useless, dry, and thorny; and on account of being prone to burning, it harms the trees all around it.. Jotham rebukes the people of Shechem for killing hid brothers who did not seek authority, but, like olive, fig trees, and vine, were ready to serve and to give; and for anointing https://coptic-treasures.com/ Abimelech a king, the bramble who burns with his evil, and will let them, as well, burn together with him. Before fleeing away, Jotham, did not forget to rebuke them for having paid the faithful love and strife of Gideon, for their sake, back with killing his children; and mockingly, yet with warning, he ended his talk by saying: “Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves -- for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother— if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. “But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!” (16 – 20) The people of Shechem assumed that being from their city, Abimelech will tend to support them; but they did not perceive that, being like the dry bramble with thorns, he will burn, and make them burn together with him, on account of their evil collaboration with him in https://coptic-treasures.com/ killing the seven innocent children of Gideon; and for choosing such a corrupt man as king over them. ……… It is obvious that the wrong choice of spiritual leadership leads to perdition to both the minister and the ministered together. It is like taking shelter among the bramble full of thorns, with the assumption that it can protect them, when it, burning with the fire of evil, will, itself burn, and burn those taking shelter in it.. “And Jotham ran away and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother” (21) Many places bear this name ‘Beer’.. According to some, he went to Beersheba.; and to others, he went to what is called ‘Beera’, nowadays, ten miles north of Jerusalem ……..Anyway, it was not possible for Jotham to flee from the people of Shechem who enthroned Abimelech a king over them; namely to flee from the evil who has the devil as his king; except by taking shelter in the true well (Beer) of the water of the holy baptism; where Christ crushed the devil under His feet, granting us, by His Holy Spirit, the spirit of sonhood, to receive the Father as a King over us, instead of Abimelech (meaning my father reigns). 3- THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM DEAL TREACHEROUSLY WITH ABIMELECH: The people of Shechem made Abimelech king; he did not reign over all Israel, but only over the region of Shechem; for he was hated by the rest of the tribes, for killing his brothers, for being the son of a concubine, and for taking the authority by force. That is why it is said: “Abimelech reigned over Israel three years” (22) https://coptic-treasures.com/ We do not know how he lived those three years, but, “God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech; that the crime done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers” (24 - 25) Namely, God made the two sides perceive the evil in one another, sent a spirit of ill will, and hate between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and they dealt treacherously with one another (23)Those who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers, came to loathe him; probably for feeling that whoever kills his own brothers to take the authority by force, would never be trusted to give to others. “ And the men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech” (25) According to the prophet Isaiah: “Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; And you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered. When you make an end of dealing treacherously with, they will deal treacherously with you” (Isaiah 33: 1). Those who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers, now exert all effort to kill him; They set evil men in ambush on the tops of Mounts Gerzim and Ebal around Shechem; to see who could put their plan into effect; and robbed all who passed by them along the way, and it https://coptic-treasures.com/ was told Abimelech. By so doing they intended to create disturbances in the region, and when Abimelech comes out to see things for himself, they would kill him. 4- THE DEFEAT OF GAAL THE SON OF EBED:. The ambush they set on the mountains saw a man called ‘Gaal the son of Ebed’, his Hebrew name means (hate), who hated Abimelech, probably for fear that he who killed his own brothers, could never be trusted. Having under his leadership a company of thieves, the people of Shechem rejoiced, for they found in him the man who could realize their plan. “ Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him” (26) They started their plan by going through a pagan religious rite: “:they went out into the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech” (27). Namely they sought from their gods to forsake him, to be accursed, and they could kill him……… That is why to chastise Moab, God says on the tongue of the prophet Isaiah: “Gladness is taken away, and joy from the plentiful field. In the vineyard there will be no singing, nor there will be shouting. No treaders will tread out wine in the presses. I have made their shouting cease” (Isaiah 16: 10) https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Then Gaal the 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? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? If only this people were under my authority; then I would remove Abimelech” (27 - 29) Namely, The descendants of ‘Hamor’ had more right for the kingdom than that stranger, the son of a concubine. ………Although Shechem the son of Hamor raped Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and was killed, together with the men of the city by Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34); yet Israel entered into a relationship of friendship with the people of Shechem, who had prominence, fame, and weight. The name ‘Hamor’ came from the sacrifice of a donkey (Homar), that was a main item in making treaties among the Ammorites in the eighteenth century B.C.. ; “When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was aroused” (30) king Abimelech dwelt outside the city in ‘Tarmah’, most probab,y ‘Arumah’ (41), meaning in Hebrew (height); though by some to be ‘Armah’ 6 miles, north-east of Sechem. . Being the ruler of Sechem, and a deputy of Abimalech, Zebul pretended to be a friend of Gaal; while he sent a secret message to tell the king what was going on,; and counseled him not to enter into the city, but to come with his men down by night, and lie in wait in the field; and when Gaal and his men come out in the morning, he would fight them at the city gate, and Gaal would have no stronghold where he can take refuge. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you. Now therefore, get up by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity.” (31 – 33) So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies. When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from lying in wait. And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!”. But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men. So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners Terebinth Tree.” (34 – 37) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”. So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem” (38 – 41) . “And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech. So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them. Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them. So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt” (42 – 45). https://coptic-treasures.com/ Corruption, like fire, consumes itself. The people of Shechem who set Abimelech a king, later dealt treacherous with him, using an evil (tool) -- Gaal the son of Ebed and his company of robbers. The (tool) perished; and the situation deteriorated, when Abimelech came to know what lied in the heart of the people of Shechem; he set forth to destroy them; but he could not flee from the horrible crime of murder, he committed against his own brothers 5- ABIMELECH STRIKES SECHEM: Perceiving that their plan failed, the people of Sechem, in an attempt to appease Abimelech, they drove Gaal out with his men, and came out to the field to tell Abimelech what they did. Yet having known their treachery, Abimelech killed all those in the field, and forced his way through the gate of the city, and killed all the people in it, and demolished the city, and sowed it with salt. Saying “he sowed the city with salt” does not mean that he threw salt on the cultivated land to corrupt it, but it was a common expression of the desolation that dwells upon a country, and lasts for a long time. “ Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. Then Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I https://coptic-treasures.com/ have done. So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women” (46 -49) Hearing what happened in the city, men of the tower of Shechem took refuge in the tower as a material stronghold, and in the pagan gods ;;;;;;;;; But Abimelech went out together with men up to Mount Zalmon, (Mount Solomon according to some), a part of Mount Gerzim toward the south; although, according to others, it is Mount ‘Solamieh’, or ‘Mount Ebal’. It was called ‘Zalmon’ because the dense trees that give it shade……….. “All the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women”. (49). By that the parable uttered by Jotham was literally realized: “Let fire comes out of the brambles and consume the cedar of Lebanon (15) 6- ABIMELECH KILLED BY A WOMAN: “Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it. But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city— fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower. So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower https://coptic-treasures.com/ to burn it with fire. But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place” (50 – 56) ‘Thebez’, a city whose Hebrew name means (splendor) or (light), close to Shechem, known nowadays as ‘Thobaz’, 10 miles north-east of Shechem (Naples), on the way to ‘Bissan’ or ‘Beth-shan’. ………. Hearing what happened to the people of Shechem, this city also revolted against Abimelech; for everyone wanted to get rid of him. “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal”.(56 – 57) The people of Shechem, on account of that they chose Abimelech, not for the sake of a virtue in him, but for the sake of blood relationship, they perished together with him. That is why, it came in the apostolic laws, written in the Synode of Antioch: [Bishopry is not to be inherited, not to be included in a will, nor to be granted a gift to someone. Priesthood is not to be inherited].
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