The Meaning of Judges 8:31 Explained

Judges 8:31

KJV: And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

YLT: and his concubine, who is in Shechem, hath born to him -- even she -- a son, and he appointeth his name Abimelech.

Darby: And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abim'elech.

ASV: And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And his concubine  that [was] in Shechem,  she also bare  him a son,  whose name  he called  Abimelech. 

What does Judges 8:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 8:29-35 - "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 8

1  Gideon pacifies the Ephraimites
4  Succoth and Penuel refuse to deliver Gideon's army
10  Zebah and Zalmunna are taken
13  Succoth and Penuel are destroyed
17  Gideon revenges his brothers's death on Zebah and Zalmunna
22  He refuses government
24  His ephod the cause of idolatry
28  Midian subdued
29  Gideon's children, and death
33  The Israelites' idolatry and ingratitude

What do the individual words in Judges 8:31 mean?

And his concubine who [was] in Shechem bore him also she a son and he called - whose name Abimelech
וּפִֽילַגְשׁוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם יָֽלְדָה־ לּ֥וֹ גַם־ הִ֖יא בֵּ֑ן וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ

וּפִֽילַגְשׁוֹ֙  And  his  concubine 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פִּלֶגֶשׁ  
Sense: concubine, paramour.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם  in  Shechem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
יָֽלְדָה־  bore 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
גַם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הִ֖יא  she 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בֵּ֑ן  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַיָּ֥שֶׂם  and  he  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
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.
שְׁמ֖וֹ  whose  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 8:31?

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