Bible Strands
Judges 9:31
So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes a covert dispatch from Zebul to Abimelech immediately after Zebul overhears Gaal’s inflammatory speech against his rival.
The words — בְּתַרְמָה (bəṯar·māh) translates literally as “in treachery” or “covertly,” describing the manner of the message delivery, while הִנֵּה (hin·nê) functions as a deictic “look” to alert the recipient to an immediate threat.
The thread — The narrative thread of covert political maneuvering and fractured loyalty continues through the Shechem narrative, where whispered warnings precede violent retribution (Judges 9:32–40).
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to recognize how hidden communications and unspoken alliances drive the cycle of violence, demanding attention to the mechanics of power rather than the rhetoric of those in open conflict.
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 he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.