The Meaning of Judges 9:31 Explained

Judges 9:31

KJV: 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.

YLT: and he sendeth messengers unto Abimelech deceitfully, saying, 'Lo, Gaal son of Ebed and his brethren are coming into Shechem, and lo, they are fortifying the city against thee;

Darby: And he sent messengers to Abim'elech at Aru'mah, saying, "Behold, Ga'al the son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you.

ASV: And he sent messengers unto Abimelech craftily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren are come to Shechem; and, behold, they constrain the city to take part against thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 9:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:22-40 - The Kindling Fire
Although this is a sordid story, it is set out at length to teach us that God's judgments upon sin are not reserved for some future date, but are continually being administered. The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son, and throughout the ages of human history, he has been dividing men and nations, as the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Peter tells us, for instance, that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned to destruction, as an example to those who lived "ungodly," 2 Peter 2:6. Adonibezek bore witness to the same great law, Judges 1:7. The Psalms are full of it-see Psalms 7:15-17. Here it is also. Shechem rued the evil compact with Abimelech, the fratricide. Contention and bloodshed were their plentiful reward.
Let us keep calm and quiet, when wicked men attain to great power and spread themselves as "a green tree in its native soil." We need not fret ourselves to do evil. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, for the Lord loveth judgment and forsaketh not His saints. They are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. See Psalms 37:1-40. [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 9:31 mean?

And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly saying take note Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and here they are fortifying - the city against you
וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח מַלְאָכִ֛ים אֶל־ אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בְּתָרְמָ֣ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּה֩ גַ֨עַל בֶּן־ עֶ֤בֶד וְאֶחָיו֙ בָּאִ֣ים שְׁכֶ֔מָה וְהִנָּ֛ם צָרִ֥ים אֶת־ הָעִ֖יר עָלֶֽיךָ

וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח  And  he  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מַלְאָכִ֛ים  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
בְּתָרְמָ֣ה  secretly 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תָּרְמָה 
Sense: treachery, fraud, deceit, deceitfulness.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה֩  take  note 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
גַ֨עַל  Gaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּעַל  
Sense: son of Eved who aided the Shechemites in their rebellion against Abimelech.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֶ֤בֶד  of  Ebed 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: father of Gaal in the time of the judges.
וְאֶחָיו֙  and  his  brothers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
בָּאִ֣ים  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
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.
וְהִנָּ֛ם  and  here 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection, third person masculine plural
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
צָרִ֥ים  they  are  fortifying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: צוּר 
Sense: to bind, besiege, confine, cramp.
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.
הָעִ֖יר  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
עָלֶֽיךָ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.

What are the major concepts related to Judges 9:31?

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