Bible Strands
Judges 9:25
The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the leaders of Shechem positioning themselves on the hilltops against Abimelech, an action occurring precisely as divine judgment for the murder of Jerubbaal’s sons begins to unfold. This maneuver coincides with Gaal’s arrival in the city, marking a shift in the local power structure.
The words — The Hebrew מְאָרְבִים (me'arvim) literally means "ambushers" or those lying in wait, paired with וַ/יִּגְזְל֗וּ (va/yigzelu), "and they robbed."
The thread — This tactical encirclement mirrors Joshua’s ambush at Ai in Joshua 8:12 and parallels the violent counsel to "lie in wait for blood" in Proverbs 1:11.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to observe how human treachery functions as the mechanism for executing stated justice, demanding attention to the intersection of divine purpose and human violence.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 1:11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
- Joshua 8:12 Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
- Joshua 8:4 with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.