Abimelech lived at Arumah; and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
Parallel translations
- KJV And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
- BSB Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
- NKJV Then Abimelech dwelt at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not dwell in Shechem.
- NASB Then Abimelech stayed in Arumah, but Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not stay in Shechem.
- NLT Abimelech returned to Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abimelech withdraws to Arumah while Zebul expels Gaal and his kin from Shechem. The rebel leader is removed, but the city's reckoning is not over.
Overview
Gaal is driven out, yet Abimelech is not finished with Shechem itself, which had welcomed the uprising. Zebul's purge clears the immediate threat. The lull before Abimelech's assault shows that judgment delayed is not judgment denied, a sober reminder that sin's full account comes due.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Judg 9:30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned.
- Judg 9:28Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal? Isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 9:41 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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