Judges 9:23

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

God sent a spirit to stir up hostility between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem. He made the leaders of Shechem disloyal to Abimelech.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 33:1 : 1 The Lord Will Restore Zion The destroyer is as good as dead, you who have not been destroyed! The deceitful one is as good as dead, the one whom others have not deceived! When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed; when you finish deceiving, others will deceive you!
  • Isa 19:14 : 14 The LORD has made them undiscerning; they lead Egypt astray in all she does, so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit.
  • Isa 19:2 : 2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt, brothers will fight with each other, as will neighbors, cities, and kingdoms.
  • Matt 7:2 : 2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.
  • 2 Thess 2:11-12 : 11 Consequently God sends on them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false. 12 And so all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.
  • Judg 9:15-16 : 15 The thornbush said to the trees,‘If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ 16 “Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, if you have properly repaid him–
  • Judg 9:20 : 20 But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!”
  • 1 Sam 16:14-16 : 14 David Appears before Saul Now the Spirit of the LORD had turned away from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 Then Saul’s servants said to him,“Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you! 16 Let our lord instruct his servants who are here before you to look for a man who knows how to play the lyre. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes upon you, he can play the lyre and you will feel better.”
  • 1 Sam 18:9-9 : 9 So Saul was keeping an eye on David from that day onward. 10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul and he prophesied within his house. Now David was playing the lyre as usual. There was a spear in Saul’s hand,
  • 1 Kgs 12:15 : 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because the LORD was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
  • 1 Kgs 22:22-23 : 22 The LORD asked him,‘How?’ He replied,‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said,‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 23 So now, look, the LORD has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
  • 2 Chr 10:15 : 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
  • 2 Chr 18:19-22 : 19 The LORD said,‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 20 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said,‘I will deceive him.’ The LORD asked him,‘How?’ 21 He replied,‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said,‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 22 So now, look, the LORD has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the LORD has decreed disaster for you.”

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 9:24-35
    12 verses
    82%

    24He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them.

    25The leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech by putting bandits in the hills, who robbed everyone who traveled by on the road. But Abimelech found out about it.

    26Gaal son of Ebed came through Shechem with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem transferred their loyalty to him.

    27They went out to the field, harvested their grapes, squeezed out the juice, and celebrated. They came to the temple of their god and ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

    28Gaal son of Ebed said,“Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech?

    29If only these men were under my command, I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech,“Muster your army and come out for battle!”

    30When Zebul, the city commissioner, heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed, he was furious.

    31He sent messengers to Abimelech, who was in Arumah, reporting,“Beware! Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers are coming to Shechem and inciting the city to rebel against you.

    32Now, come up at night with your men and set an ambush in the field outside the city.

    33In the morning at sunrise quickly attack the city. When he and his men come out to fight you, do what you can to him.”

    34So Abimelech and all his men came up at night and set an ambush outside Shechem– they divided into four units.

    35When Gaal son of Ebed came out and stood at the entrance to the city’s gate, Abimelech and his men got up from their hiding places.

  • Judg 9:52-57
    6 verses
    79%

    52Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire,

    53a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull.

    54He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons,“Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say,‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died.

    55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.

    56God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers.

    57God also repaid the men of Shechem for their evil deeds. The curse spoken by Jotham son of Jerub-Baal fell on them.

  • Judg 9:16-22
    7 verses
    76%

    16“Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family, if you have properly repaid him–

    17my father fought for you; he risked his life and delivered you from Midian’s power.

    18But you have attacked my father’s family today. You murdered his seventy legitimate sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative.

    19So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness!

    20But if not, may fire blaze from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo! May fire also blaze from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and consume Abimelech!”

    21Then Jotham ran away to Beer and lived there to escape from Abimelech his half-brother.

    22God Fulfills Jotham’s Curse Abimelech commanded Israel for three years.

  • Judg 9:39-50
    12 verses
    75%

    39So Gaal led the leaders of Shechem out and fought Abimelech.

    40Abimelech chased him, and Gaal ran from him. Many Shechemites fell wounded at the entrance of the gate.

    41Abimelech went back to Arumah; Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

    42The next day the Shechemites came out to the field. When Abimelech heard about it,

    43he took his men and divided them into three units and set an ambush in the field. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked and struck them down.

    44Abimelech and his units attacked and blocked the entrance to the city’s gate. Two units then attacked all the people in the field and struck them down.

    45Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled the city and spread salt over it.

    46When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard the news, they went to the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.

    47Abimelech heard that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were in one place.

    48He and all his men went up on Mount Zalmon. He took an ax in his hand and cut off a tree branch. He put it on his shoulder and said to his men,“Quickly, do what you have just seen me do!”

    49So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches against the stronghold and set fire to it. All the people of the Tower of Shechem died– about a thousand men and women.

    50Abimelech moved on to Thebez; he besieged and captured it.

  • Judg 9:1-7
    7 verses
    75%

    1Abimelech Murders His Brothers Now Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to see his mother’s relatives. He said to them and to his mother’s entire extended family,

    2“Tell all the leaders of Shechem this:‘Why would you want to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’”

    3His mother’s relatives spoke on his behalf to all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; they said,“He is our close relative.”

    4They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous men as his followers.

    5He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers, the seventy legitimate sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal’s youngest son, escaped, because he hid.

    6All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.

    7Jotham’s Parable When Jotham heard the news, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below,“Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

  • Judg 8:31
    70%

    31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech.

  • Gen 20:8-9
    2 verses
    70%

    8Early in the morning Abimelech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified.

    9Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him,“What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!”

  • Gen 26:10
    67%

    10Then Abimelech exclaimed,“What in the world have you done to us? One of the men nearly took your wife to bed, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

  • Gen 21:22
    66%

    22At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham,“God is with you in all that you do.