Commentary - Judges 9:22-41

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Judges, we witness the beginning of the end for Abimelech's bloody and illegitimate kingship. His reign was founded upon the murder of his brothers and a treacherous compact with the men of Shechem. As with all such arrangements built on sin, it was only a matter of time before the treachery turned inward. This passage is a master class in divine providence, demonstrating how God uses the wicked choices of sinful men to bring about His righteous judgments. God is the primary actor here; He sends an evil spirit to stir the pot, ensuring that the violence Abimelech and the Shechemites perpetrated would come back upon their own heads. The introduction of Gaal, a charismatic loudmouth, serves as the catalyst for the open rebellion, and the subsequent conflict reveals the folly, cowardice, and ultimate doom of those who rebel against God's order, even when that order is being expressed through the judgment of a wicked ruler.

The narrative unfolds with a grim and logical certainty. Treachery is repaid with treachery. Boasting is met with humiliation. Rebellion is crushed with violence. Throughout the account, we see the hand of a sovereign God who is not the author of sin, but who most certainly directs and uses the sinful inclinations of men to fulfill His own purposes. The bramble king is about to be consumed by the very fire he ignited, and the men of Shechem who put their trust in him will be burned along with him.

Outline

Context In Judges

This passage is the direct outworking of the events at the beginning of the chapter. In Judges 9:1-6, Abimelech conspired with his mother's relatives in Shechem to murder his seventy brothers and install himself as king. The men of Shechem were complicit, funding the assassination and crowning him by the oak of the pillar. The only dissenting voice was Jotham, the youngest son who escaped, and who pronounced a prophetic curse from Mount Gerizim (Judg 9:7-21). He foretold that a fire would come out from Abimelech to devour the men of Shechem, and a fire from the men of Shechem to devour Abimelech. The events of our text, verses 22-41, are the beginning of the fulfillment of that curse. The alliance built on blood is now beginning to crumble under the weight of its own wickedness, orchestrated by the sovereign hand of God to bring about justice.

Key Issues

Commentary on the Text

Verse 22: And Abimelech governed over Israel three years.

Three years is not a long reign. It is a time of testing, a probationary period. The number itself is often significant in Scripture, pointing to a completed period of trial before a decisive event. Abimelech's rule was an anomaly, a cancerous growth on the body of Israel. God, in His patience, allowed it for a time, but its foundations were sand and blood, and the tide of His judgment was coming in.

Verse 23: Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem; and the lords of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

Here is the hinge of the entire narrative. God is the active agent. This does not mean God created the evil in the hearts of the Shechemites. Their hearts were already treacherous; they had proven that by conspiring with Abimelech. Rather, God in His sovereignty withdrew His restraining grace and gave them over to their own sinful desires. He introduced a spirit of discord and paranoia, turning the thieves against one another. This is a terrifying thought, but a biblical one. God can and does use demonic influence to accomplish His righteous judgments in the world. The Shechemites were already traitors; God simply arranged the circumstances for their treachery to find a new target.

Verse 24: so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the lords of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.

Scripture is explicit about the purpose of this divine intervention. This is not random chaos; it is targeted, judicial retribution. The principle is clear: bloodguilt must be answered for. Notice the shared culpability. The guilt lies with Abimelech, the one who wielded the sword, but it lies equally with the lords of Shechem, who "strengthened his hands." They funded the operation and gave him the political cover. In God's economy, being an accessory to a crime makes you a full partner in it. This is a sobering warning against enabling and supporting wickedness, whether actively or passively.

Verse 25: And the lords of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech.

The treachery now takes practical form. They resort to banditry. This was a direct challenge to Abimelech's authority. A king's first duty is to provide security and order. By making the roads unsafe, they were publicly declaring that Abimelech's reign was a failure. Their sin was undermining the very man their sin had elevated.

Verse 26-27: Then Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives... and they came into the house of their god and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

Into this volatile situation steps Gaal. He is a political opportunist, a man with a big mouth and bigger ambitions. He sees a power vacuum and seeks to fill it. The men of Shechem, fickle and faithless, immediately put their trust in him. Where does this rebellion find its fuel? In a pagan temple, the house of Baal-berith, the "lord of the covenant." Their rebellion is lubricated with wine and consecrated with idolatry. Cursing the king they had anointed, in the temple of the false god they served, shows the utter bankruptcy of their hearts.

Verse 28-29: Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him?... Would, therefore, that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech."

This is the classic speech of a demagogue. He appeals to local pride and xenophobia. "Who is Abimelech?" He's an outsider, the son of Jerubbaal. He's not one of us. Gaal calls them back to their Canaanite roots, to the "men of Hamor," the original founder of Shechem. This is a rejection of Gideon and, by extension, a rejection of the God of Israel. Then comes the boast, full of the false courage that comes from a bottle. "If I were in charge..." He even makes a direct, public challenge to Abimelech. This is all talk, but it is the kind of talk that foolish men love to hear.

Verse 30-33: Then Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal... and he sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully...

Zebul is Abimelech's man in Shechem, a city official. He is a pragmatist. His anger burns not from loyalty, but because this upstart Gaal is threatening his position. He plays a double game with consummate skill. To Gaal's face, he is part of the city leadership. In secret, he is feeding intelligence to Abimelech and providing him with a detailed tactical plan. Ambush by night, attack at dawn. Zebul is a cunning man, and God uses his self-serving cunning to spring the trap on Gaal and the Shechemites.

Verse 34-36: So Abimelech... arose by night... Then Gaal saw the people and said to Zebul, "Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains." But Zebul said to him, "You are seeing the shadow of the mountains as if they were men."

Abimelech is a man of action and follows the plan. The scene at the gate is almost comical in its grimness. Gaal, likely still feeling the effects of the previous night's festival, sees the approaching army. And Zebul, standing beside him, engages in world-class gaslighting. He mocks Gaal's perception, making him doubt his own eyes. It's a brilliant, cynical move to buy Abimelech's forces a few more crucial moments to close the distance.

Verse 37-38: Yet Gaal spoke again... Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’... Go out now and fight with them!"

The shadows are getting closer, and they are most definitely armed. Gaal cannot deny it any longer. Now Zebul drops the pretense and twists the knife. "Where is your mouth now?" he asks, using the literal Hebrew. He throws Gaal's own drunken boasts back in his face. The sarcasm is biting. Zebul shames him into action. You talked the talk, now you must walk the walk, right into Abimelech's trap.

Verse 39-41: So Gaal went out... and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him... Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives...

Forced to act, Gaal leads the men of Shechem out to battle, and they are soundly defeated. The great challenger turns and flees. The rebellion is crushed almost as soon as it begins. The aftermath is swift. With the immediate threat gone, Zebul reasserts control and expels Gaal and his clan. The loudmouth is sent packing. The first stage of God's judgment is complete, and the stage is now set for the final, terrible reckoning for the city of Shechem.

Application

This story is a stark reminder that God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man, or a city, sows, that will he also reap. The men of Shechem sowed treachery and blood, and they reaped a harvest of the same. We must learn that God's justice is inescapable. He uses the instruments of this world, even the sinful and self-serving actions of men like Zebul, to accomplish His sovereign will.

We should also be deeply wary of the Gaals of this world. There will always be charismatic leaders who appeal to our pride, our grievances, and our basest instincts. They make grand promises and boast of their own strength. But like Gaal, their courage is often fueled by the applause of the crowd and evaporates in the light of a true test. We are not to put our trust in such men, but in the living God.

Finally, we see the absolute necessity of a true and righteous King. Abimelech was a false king, a bramble. Gaal was a foolish usurper. The story of Judges is the story of Israel's desperate need for a king who would not rule through violence and treachery. This history points us forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only King whose throne was established through His own sacrifice, not the sacrifice of others. His is the only kingdom of perfect justice and lasting peace.