9th Chapter of Judges Tells About How Measure for Measure (Karma) Works

Ungratefulness Is One Cause Of G-d’s Anger

Being bias is another as it is said in the Torah – to conduct rightful justice.

Learn from this chapter how Abimelech deceived the people in promoting himself to rule over them. Something that the Jewish judges refused to do over the people, including Gideon.

“Abimelech Son of Gideon”

Abimelech son of Jerubaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke to them and to the entire family of his mother’s father’s household, saying,
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“Speak now in the ears of all the inhabitants of Schechem: ‘What is better for you — that seventy men rule over you, all the sons of Jerubaal, or that one man rule over you? And remember that I am your bone and flesh!’”
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… Their heart inclined after Abimelech, for they said, “He is our kinsman.”
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They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, and with them Abimelech hired boorish, impetuous men, and they followed him.
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He came to his father’s house, to Oprah, and murdered his brothers, the sons of Jerubaal, seventy men, at one rock, but Jotham, Jerubaal’s youngest son, was left, for he had hidden.
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All the inhabitants of Shechem and all of Beth-millo gathered together, and they went and crowned Abimelech as king, by the Plain of the Monument, which was in Shechem.
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They told Jotham, so he went and stood atop Mount Gerizzim and raised his voice and cried out; he said to them, “Listen to me, O inhabitants of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!
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as my father went to war for you; as he cast his life aside and rescued you from the hand of Midian,
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yet you rose up against my father’s house today and murdered his sons, seventy souls, on one rock, and you crown Abimelech son of his maidservant over the inhabitants of Shechem, because he is your kinsman —
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so if you have acted with honesty and sincerity toward Jerubaal and toward his household this day, then rejoice with Abimelech and let him also rejoice with you.
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But if not, may a fire go forth from Abimelech and consume the inhabitants of Shechem and Beth-millo, and may a fire go forth from the inhabitants of Shechem and Beth-millo and consume Abimelech!”
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Abimelech was master over Israel for three years.
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Then God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem, and the inhabitants of Shechem betrayed Abimelech,
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So that the violence against the seventy sons of Jerubaal would come [back] upon — and their blood would be placed upon — Abimelech their brother, who murdered them, and upon the inhabitants of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.
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Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he occupied the city and killed the people who were in it. He tore down the city and sowed it with salt.
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Each of the people also cut down a branch and they followed Abimelech. They placed them by the citadel and with them set the citadel on fire. All the people of the Tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
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A certain woman threw down part of an upper milestone on Abimelech’s head, and crushed his skull.
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He called quickly to the attendant who was his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” His attendant stabbed him and he died.
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[Thus] God repaid the evil of Abimelech that he had done to his father [by] murdering his seventy brothers;
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and the evil of the men of Shechem, God brought back upon their heads, and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubaal came upon them.
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1 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s brothers; and he spoke to them, and to all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying:
2 “Speak now, in the ears of all the men of Shechem; What is better for you, that there rule over you seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, or that one man rule over you? Now remember that I am your bone and flesh.”
3 And his mother’s brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words. And their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.”
4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver of the house of Baal-berith. And Abimelech hired with them idle and hasty men, and they followed him.
5 And he went to his father’s house, to Ophrah, and killed his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid.
6 And all the inhabitants of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the plain of stones that was in Shechem.
7 And they told it to Jotham, and he went and stood on the peak of Mount Gerizim, and he raised his voice, and called; and he said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
8 The trees went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
9 But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Go you, and reign over us.’
11 But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruitage, and go to wave over the trees?’
12 And the trees said to the vine, ‘Go you and reign over us.’
13 And the vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my wine, which causes God and men to rejoice, and go to wave over the trees? ‘
14 Then all the trees said to the thorn, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
15 And the thorn said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, (then) come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the thorn, and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’
16 And now, if you have dealt in truth and with sincerity, in that you have made Abimelech king, and you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and you have done to him according to the deserts of his hands.
17 For my father fought for you, and cast his life aside, and saved you from the hand of Midian.
18 And you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have killed his sons, seventy men upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid servant, king over the inhabitants of Shechem, because he is your brother.
19 Now if you have dealt in truth and with sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice with Abimelech and let him also rejoice with you.
20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and consume the inhabitants of Shechem, and Beth-millo. And let fire come out from the inhabitants of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech.”
21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer; and he dwelt there because of Abimelech his brother.
22 And Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.
23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem. And the inhabitants of Shechem betrayed Abimelech.
24 That (there) might come the injustice done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and their blood (which he shed, now) to be placed upon Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and upon the inhabitants of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
25 And the inhabitants of Shechem set for him liers-in-wait on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all that passed by them on the way; and it was told to Abimelech.
26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and they entered Shechem, and the inhabitants of Shechem put their trust in him.
27 And they went out into the field, and gathered (the grapes of) their vineyards and trod (them), and made dances. And they came into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
28 And 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 Zebul (is he not) his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?
29 And would that these people were under my hand, then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, “Increase your army, and come out.”
30 And Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, and his anger was kindled.
31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech in secret, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem; and behold, they besiege the city on account of you.
32 And now, get up at night, you and the people that are with you, and lie in wait in the field.
33 And it shall be, in the morning, as soon as the sun is shining, you shall rise early, and spread out upon the city; and behold, (when) he and the people that are with him come out against you, then you shall do to him whatever you can.”
34 And Abimelech, and all the people that were with him got up at night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech and the people that were with him got up from the ambush.
36 And Gaal saw the people, and said to Zebul, “Behold, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains.” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”
37 And Gaal continued to speak, and said, “Behold, people are coming down from the navel of the earth; and one company is coming, by way of the plain Meonenim.”
38 And Zebul said to him, “Where then is your mouth, that you used to say, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is not this the people that you have despised? Go out now, and fight with them.”
39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
40 And Abimelech pursued him, and he fled before him. And many casualties fell, (even) until the entrance of the gate.
41 And Abimelech dwelt in Arumah; and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers from dwelling in Shechem.
42 And it was on the morrow, that the people went out to the field; and they told Abimelech.
43 And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he saw, and behold, the people were coming out of the city; and he rose up against them, and struck them.
44 And Abimelech and the companies that were with him, spread out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And the two companies spread out upon all that were in the field, and killed them.
45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he captured the city, and killed the people that were therein. And he broke down the city, and sowed it with salt.
46 And all the inhabitants of the tower of Shechem heard, and they came to the forest of Beth El Brith.
47 And it was told to Abimelech that all the inhabitants of the tower of Shechem had gathered.
48 And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him: and Abimelech took the axes in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, lifted it, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people that were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do like me.”
49 And all the people also cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them nearby the forest, and set the forest on fire upon them; so that also all the men of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
50 And Abimelech went to Thebez, and encamped in Thebez and captured it.
51 Now there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and the women, and all the inhabitants of the city fled there, and shut themselves in. And they went up to the roof of the tower.
52 And Abimelech came up to the tower, and fought against it. And he went close to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 And a certain woman cast a piece of an upper millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and crushed his skull.
54 And he called hastily to the young man, his weapon bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” And his young man pierced him, and he died.
55 Now the men of Israel saw that Abimelech had died; and they departed, every man to his place.
56 Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers.
57 And all the wickedness of the men of Shechem, God requited upon their heads; and there came upon them the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.