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Judges 9:1
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Abimelech’s Conspiracy

1 Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to ahis mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,  
2 “Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all aseventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bbone.”  
3 And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our abrother.”  
4 So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of aBaal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired bworthless and reckless men; and they followed him.  
5 Then he went to his father’s house aat Ophrah and bkilled his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.  
6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.

The Parable of the Trees

7 Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of aMount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. And he said to them:
“Listen to me, you men of Shechem,
That God may listen to you! 
8 “Thea trees once went forth to anoint a king over them.
And they said to the olive tree,
b‘Reign over us!’ 
Book Notes:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Book Notes

Judges

JUDGES is the title given to the next book, from its containing the history of those non-regal rulers who governed the Hebrews from the time of Joshua to that of Eli, and whose functions in time of peace consisted chiefly in the administration of justice, although they occasionally led the people in their wars against their public enemies. The date and authorship of this book are not precisely known. It is certain, however, that it preceded the Second Book of Samuel (compare Judges 9:35 with II Samuel 11:21), as well as the conquest of Jerusalem by David (compare Judges 1:21 with II Samuel 5:6). Its author was in all probability Samuel, the last of the judges (see Judges 19:1; Judges 21:25), and the date of the first part of it is fixed in the reign of Saul, while the five chapters at the close might not have been written till after David's establishment as king in Israel (see Judges 18:31). It is a fragmentary history, being a collection of important facts and signal deliverances at different times and in various parts of the land, during the intermediate period of three hundred years between Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy. The inspired character of this book is confirmed by allusions to it in many passages of Scripture (compare Judges 4:2; Judges 6:14 with I Samuel 12:9-12; Judges 9:53 with II Samuel 11:21; Judges 7:25 with Psalms 83:11; compare Judges 5:4-5 with Psalms 7:5; Judges 13:5; Judges 16:17 with Matthew 2:13-23; Acts 13:20; Hebrews 11:32).

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