Shechem Makes Abimelech King

Judges 9:1-21 (KJV)

Abimelech, Gideon's son from the Shechem concubine, spoke to his family on his mother's side and asked them, "Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of [Gideon], which are [seventy], reign over you, or that one riegn over you" (v. 2)? Abimelech reminded his family, "I am your bone and your flesh" (v. 2). "And his mother's brethren spake 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" (v. 3).

Abimelech slew all his brothers except the youngest one named Jotham who hid himself. "And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem." (v. 6).

"And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you" (v. 7). "Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands; (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, [seventy] persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother" (vs. 16-21).

Personal note: Be sure to read more of Jotham's words to Shechem in Judges 9:8-15.