The Meaning of Judges 9:5 Explained

Judges 9:5

KJV: And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

YLT: and he goeth into the house of his father at Ophrah, and slayeth his brethren, sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; and Jotham, youngest son of Jerubbaal, is left, for he was hidden.

Darby: And he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubba'al, seventy men, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubba'al was left, for he hid himself.

ASV: And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he went  unto his father's  house  at Ophrah,  and slew  his brethren  the sons  of Jerubbaal,  [being] threescore and ten  persons,  upon one  stone:  notwithstanding yet Jotham  the youngest  son  of Jerubbaal  was left;  for he hid  himself. 

What does Judges 9:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:1-6 - "through Slaughter To A Throne"
The Children of Israel were guilty of great fickleness and instability. They soon relapsed into Baal worship and forgot to show kindness to the family of their great leader. But such is the frailty of the human heart. However hot we may be for Christ today, we may be cold and distant tomorrow. It seems as if the great adversary taunts us with this as he did John Bunyan, to whom he kept whispering. "I'll cool you, I'll cool you." We must take our fickle hearts to our Lord, asking Him to keep us true and hot in our love. There are times when His friendship is the most real thing in life, but then the rainbow-glory fades in the sky. Let it not be so any more, O Lord, we beseech thee!
The terrible crime of Abimelech was extenuated by the people of Shechem, because his mother was one of themselves. Compare Judges 8:31 with 9:1, 18. But the mills of God were grinding out awful trouble for them all, Judges 9:56-57. Surely, in his lack of self-control, Gideon had much to answer for, Judges 8:30! The evil that men do lives after them. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 9

1  Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7  Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22  Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30  Zebul reveals it
34  Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46  He burns the hold of the god Berith
50  At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56  Jotham's curse is fulfilled

What do the individual words in Judges 9:5 mean?

And he went house of to his father at Ophrah and killed - his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal seventy persons on stone One but was left Jotham son of Jerubbaal the youngest because he hid himself -
וַיָּבֹ֤א בֵית־ אָבִיו֙ עָפְרָ֔תָה וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג אֶת־ אֶחָ֧יו בְּנֵֽי־ יְרֻבַּ֛עַל שִׁבְּעִ֥ים‪‬ אִ֖ישׁ עַל־ אֶ֣בֶן אֶחָ֑ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר יוֹתָ֧ם בֶּן־ יְרֻבַּ֛עַל הַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּ֥י נֶחְבָּֽא ס

וַיָּבֹ֤א  And  he  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵית־  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבִיו֙  of  to  his  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
עָפְרָ֔תָה  at  Ophrah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: עָפְרָה 
Sense: a Judaite, son of Meonothai.
וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞ג  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶחָ֧יו  his  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בְּנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְרֻבַּ֛עַל  of  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
שִׁבְּעִ֥ים‪‬  seventy 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁבְעִים  
Sense: seventy.
אִ֖ישׁ  persons 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶ֣בֶן  stone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
אֶחָ֑ת  One 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וַיִּוָּתֵ֞ר  but  was  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
יוֹתָ֧ם  Jotham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄותָם  
Sense: son of king Uzziah of Judah by Jerushah; king of Judah for 6 years and contemporary with Isaiah and king Pekah of Israel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְרֻבַּ֛עַל  of  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
הַקָּטֹ֖ן  the  youngest 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
כִּ֥י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
נֶחְבָּֽא  he  hid  himself 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation