And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
This verse belongs to the account of Jotham's parable of the trees and the events surrounding Abimelech's rule, including his utter destruction of Shechem. Abimelech was the son of Gideon's maid and arranged the slaughter of Gideon's sons, his brothers, in order to become ruler of Israel. Shechem itself was a very ancient place, the stopping-point of Jacob when he returned from Padan-aram to Canaan.
The verse is included in the record of Israel's backsliding from God and the resulting suffering, oppression, and servitude. It records that Abimelech was told the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered there in united insurrection with rebellious Shechem against him after his three-year demoralizing and tyrannical reign. The Lord sent trouble between Abimelech and his subjects, fulfilling Jotham's words with discord, strife and hatred, and the time of retribution for both Abimelech and the Shechemites who sustained him was at hand.
Abimelech had been permitted to execute God's vengeance upon Israel, but he had passed the limits of divine forbearance. He attacked rebellious Shechem, slew the inhabitants, reduced the city to ashes, and sowed the ground with salt as a token of perpetual desolation, then attacked the neighboring city of the tower, gained possession, and determined to burn the inhabitants with the tower as he had done at Shechem, so the gathering preceded his destruction of about a thousand people in the tower. As he was about to burn the tower he approached too near for his own safety and was fatally wounded by a piece of millstone hurled by a woman's hand, then at his own request was immediately slain by his armor-bearer to avoid the disgrace of dying by a woman's hand, ending his career of crime and tyranny.
This reveals God's justice in punishing both Abimelech and the Shechemites, teaching that sin will never go unpunished and that danger lies in the path of disobedience. The men of Shechem acted foolishly by choosing such a ruler and gathering worthless followers; those doing the most valuable work for the Lord have no desire to rule over fellow believers, and ambition to be exalted over others shows a lack of qualification to lead. All true greatness of character, peace and joy of soul, safety and happiness come from entire conformity to the will of God in cheerful obedience.
This verse belongs to the account of Jotham's parable of the trees and the events surrounding Abimelech's rule, including his utter destruction of Shechem. Abimelech was the son of Gideon's maid and arranged the slaughter of Gideon's sons, his brothers, in order to become ruler of Israel. Shechem itself was a very ancient place, the stopping-point of Jacob when he returned from Padan-aram to Canaan.
The verse is included in the record of Israel's backsliding from God and the resulting suffering, oppression, and servitude. It records that Abimelech was told the men of the tower of Shechem had gathered there in united insurrection with rebellious Shechem against him after his three-year demoralizing and tyrannical reign. The Lord sent trouble between Abimelech and his subjects, fulfilling Jotham's words with discord, strife and hatred, and the time of retribution for both Abimelech and the Shechemites who sustained him was at hand.
Abimelech had been permitted to execute God's vengeance upon Israel, but he had passed the limits of divine forbearance. He attacked rebellious Shechem, slew the inhabitants, reduced the city to ashes, and sowed the ground with salt as a token of perpetual desolation, then attacked the neighboring city of the tower, gained possession, and determined to burn the inhabitants with the tower as he had done at Shechem, so the gathering preceded his destruction of about a thousand people in the tower. As he was about to burn the tower he approached too near for his own safety and was fatally wounded by a piece of millstone hurled by a woman's hand, then at his own request was immediately slain by his armor-bearer to avoid the disgrace of dying by a woman's hand, ending his career of crime and tyranny.
This reveals God's justice in punishing both Abimelech and the Shechemites, teaching that sin will never go unpunished and that danger lies in the path of disobedience. The men of Shechem acted foolishly by choosing such a ruler and gathering worthless followers; those doing the most valuable work for the Lord have no desire to rule over fellow believers, and ambition to be exalted over others shows a lack of qualification to lead. All true greatness of character, peace and joy of soul, safety and happiness come from entire conformity to the will of God in cheerful obedience.