The Meaning of Judges 9:1 Explained

Judges 9:1

KJV: And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

YLT: and Abimelech son of Jerubbaal goeth to Shechem, unto his mother's brethren, and speaketh unto them, and unto all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

Darby: Now Abim'elech the son of Jerubba'al went to Shechem to his mother's kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family,

ASV: And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Abimelech  the son  of Jerubbaal  went  to Shechem  unto his mother's  brethren,  and communed  with them, and with all the family  of the house  of his mother's  father,  saying, 

What does Judges 9:1 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 9:1 mean?

And went Abimelech son of Jerubbaal to Shechem to brothers of his mother and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of father of his mother saying
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ בֶּן־ יְרֻבַּ֙עַל֙ שְׁכֶ֔מָה אֶל־ אֲחֵ֖י אִמּ֑וֹ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֶל־ כָּל־ מִשְׁפַּ֛חַת בֵּית־ אֲבִ֥י אִמּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ  And  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְרֻבַּ֙עַל֙  of  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
שְׁכֶ֔מָה  to  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
אֲחֵ֖י  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אִמּ֑וֹ  of  his  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר  and  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְאֶל־  and  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
מִשְׁפַּ֛חַת  the  family 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲבִ֥י  of  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אִמּ֖וֹ  of  his  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
לֵאמֹֽר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.