The Pulpit Commentary — Judges — Section 101

"Wl10 is David ! nnd who is the son of Zebu! affected not to see tlie men, and er, Jesse ! " and, " ·what portion have we in plained the appeltranee as being merely tho Dand ! neither have we inheritance in the shadows of the mountains cast before the Mn of Jesse." Here, therefore, it is clear that rising sun. Shechem is merely another name for Abime- Ver. 37. -Gaal epake again, &c. Of kch; and it is easy to see why. Abimelech's course, as the men got nearer, it Wll8 impos- mother ,,.as a Canaanite bond-woman, a sible to mistake them for anything but men. Shechemite ; and the plea for making Gaal could see two bands distinctly, one Abimelech king was, "for he is our brother" coming down the hill-side, the other march, (vers. 2, 3). Slwchem, or the son of Shechein, ing by the road of the soothsayers' oak. The was therefore a natural description of Abirue- middle of the land. The word rendered lech. But, adds Gaal, is not he the son of middk only occurs again in Ezek. xxxviii. J·erubba&l 1 and (is not) Zebul his officer! 12, "the midst of the land," A. V. It is so i. e. he is not a real Shechemite; he is the rendered from the notion of the old inter- snn of ,Terubhnal; and what right has he to preters that it was connected with a word reign over you Shechemites 1 And why meaning '' the navel." It is usually explained should Zehul lord it over you! He is only now to mean the height. There may have Ahimelech's officer. No; serve the men of been some particular height in the ridge Hamor the father of Shechem. Fling off called Tabbttr ha-aretz. The plain of Meone- the yoke of the Abi-ezrite stranger, and set nim. Rather, the oak (or terebinth tree) up a real Canaanite government from the old of the soothsayers, some large terebinth or rncc of Hamor, the true founder and head of turpentine tree under which the soothsayers ShP-r.hcm (ci. l Chron. ii. 50-52). used to take their auguries. Dean Stanley Ye,r. 29.-And would to God, &c., i. e. would identify it with" the oak of the pillar in " If you "ill only trust me as your leader, I ver. 6, where see note ,rill soon remove Abi!Ilelech, and then vou Ver. 38.-Then said Zebul, &c. Zebul can have a national government." It seems now throws off tile mask, and dares Gaal to that the people at once closed with his offer carry out his bor.st in ver. 28. and, thus emboldened, he sent a challenge Ver. 39.-Before the men of Shechem, to Abimelech to eome out and fight him. i. e. at their head, as their leader, as the Vers. 30, 31.-And whenZebul, &c. Zebul, phrase not ,mcommonly means (Gen. xxxiii. it appears, was governor of the city under 3; Exod. xiii, 21). Abimelech, and when the words of Gaal Yer. 40.-Were overthrown and wounded. were reported to him, he privately sent off The simple translation of the Hebrew is, and messengers to the king to tell him the state there fell many slain even unto the entering of of affairs at Shechem, and urge him to ~om" the gate, showing that Abimelech's men pur- in person. Zebnl meanwhile temporised, sued them to the very gate of the city. not being strong enough to resist Gaal Yer. 41.-Arumah. A place not other- openly. Privily. The word only occurs here. wise known, but apparently (ver. 42) very It probably means a little more than privily, near Shechern, aud possibly the same place -viz., u;iJ,h, subtlety or dcceit,-because he as Rumah, the bir~hplace of Queen Zebudah pretended all the while to be a friend of Gaal. (2 Kings xxiii. 36), and, from its name, Some make it a proper name, "In Rumah," apparently among the mountains. Zebul taking it for the same place as .Arumah thrust out, &c. Gaal was so much weak- (ver. 41) ened by his defeat that Zebu] was now strong Ver. 35.-A.nd Gaal, &c. It does not enough to expel him and the remainder of appear certain whether Gaal, who, as is "his brethren" from the city. clear from ver. 36, was accompanied by Yers. 42, 43.-And it came to pass, &c. Zebul, went out of the city gate with his The Shechemites, believing Abimelech to ·men in consequence of any intelligence of have retired, and hoping that he would be Abimelech's movements, or any alarm or sus- satisfied with the chastisement inflicted upon picion of danger, or merely upon some other them in the battle of the day before, left the ente1prise. But whatever the cause was, as protection of their walls next morning to soon as he was there, Abimelech, according pursue their usual avocations in the field. to Zebul's advice in ver. 33, had begun to Abimelech's spies in the city being aware of descend from the mountains into the valley their intention immediately reported it to to "set upon the city." Gaal's quick eye him. Upon which he hastily took his army, detected them in the morning light. divided them as before into three companies, \'er. 36.-Saw the people, i. e. Abime- lay in ambush in the field till the Shechem- lech's followers. He said to Zebul, whom ites were well out in the country, then he looked upon as a friend and eonfedera_te. attacked the Shechemites in the field with Zebul said to him, &c. Partly to give two of the companies, and himself at lhl! ALirncleeh time, arid partly to conceal his he:i.d of the third rushed to the city gal~ to 0101 coJUplicity in Abimelcch's mo-.ements, intercept their retreat, en. 1x. 22-57.J TIIE BOOK OF JUDGES. 107