Judges 9:28

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal, and isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem! Why should we serve him?

Additional Resources

Other Translations

  • King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

  • KJV1611 – Modern English

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal? And isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem! Why should we serve him?

  • King James Version 1611 (Original)

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

  • American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

    And Gaal{H1603} the son{H1121} of Ebed{H5651} said,{H559} Who is Abimelech,{H40} and who is Shechem,{H7927} that we should serve{H5647} him? is not he the son{H1121} of Jerubbaal?{H3378} and Zebul{H2083} his officer?{H6496} serve{H5647} ye the men{H582} of Hamor{H2544} the father{H1} of Shechem:{H7927} but why should we serve{H5647} him?

  • King James Version with Strong's Numbers

    And Gaal{H1603} the son{H1121} of Ebed{H5651} said{H559}{(H8799)}, Who is Abimelech{H40}, and who is Shechem{H7927}, that we should serve{H5647}{(H8799)} him? is not he the son{H1121} of Jerubbaal{H3378}? and Zebul{H2083} his officer{H6496}? serve{H5647}{(H8798)} the men{H582} of Hamor{H2544} the father{H1} of Shechem{H7927}: for why should we serve{H5647}{(H8799)} him?

  • Coverdale Bible (1535)

    And Gaal ye sonne of Ebed sayde: Who is Abimelech? and what is Sichem, that we shulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierubaal, and hath set Sebul his seruaut ouer the men of Hemor the father of Sichem? Wherfore shulde we serue him?

  • Geneva Bible (1560)

    Then Gaal the sonne of Ebed sayde, Who is Abimelech? and who is Shechem, that wee should serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierubbaal? and Zebul is his officer? Serue rather the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serue him?

  • Bishops' Bible (1568)

    And Gaal the sonne of Obed sayde: what is Abimelech? & what is Sichem, that we shoulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierobaal? & Zebul is his officer? Serue such as come of Hemor the father of Sichem: for what reason is it that we shoulde serue him?

  • Authorized King James Version (1611)

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who [is] Abimelech, and who [is] Shechem, that we should serve him? [is] not [he] the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

  • Webster's Bible (1833)

    Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve you the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

  • Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

    And Gaal son of Ebed saith, `Who `is' Abimelech, and who `is' Shechem, that we serve him? is `he' not son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his commander? Serve ye the men of Hamor father of Shechem, and wherefore do we serve him -- we?

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

  • American Standard Version (1901)

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

  • Bible in Basic English (1941)

    And Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we are to be his servants? Is it not right for the son of Jerubbaal and Zebul his captain to be servants to the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem? But why are we to be his servants?

  • World English Bible (2000)

    Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn't he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

  • NET Bible® (New English Translation)

    Gaal son of Ebed said,“Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech?

Referenced Verses

  • Gen 34:2 : 2 And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He seized her, lay with her, and violated her.
  • Gen 34:6 : 6 Then Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
  • 1 Sam 25:10 : 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Nowadays many servants are breaking away from their masters.
  • 1 Kgs 12:16 : 16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!" So the Israelites went home.
  • 2 Sam 20:1 : 1 Now a troublemaker named Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and declared, "We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse's son. Every man to his tent, Israel!"

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Judg 9:29-48
    20 verses
    84%

    29 If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech!" Then he said to Abimelech, "Gather your army and come out!"

    30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard what Gaal, the son of Ebed, said, he became very angry.

    31 He secretly sent messengers to Abimelech, saying, "Look, Gaal, son of Ebed, and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.

    32 Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields.

    33 In the morning, as the sun rises, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, do whatever is needed to deal with them.

    34 So Abimelech and all his troops got up by night and set an ambush near Shechem in four companies.

    35 When Gaal, the son of Ebed, came out and stood at the entrance of the city gate, Abimelech and his men arose from their hiding places.

    36 When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!" But Zebul replied, "You are seeing the shadows of the mountains as if they were men."

    37 But Gaal spoke again, "Look, people are coming down from the central area of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the soothsayers’ oak."

    38 Then Zebul said to him, "Where now is your boasting, you who said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Aren’t these the people you despised? Go out now and fight them!"

    39 So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.

    40 But Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. Many fell wounded, all the way to the entrance of the gate.

    41 Abimelech stayed in Arumah, while Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

    42 The following day, the people went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.

    43 So Abimelech took his army, divided them into three companies, and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he attacked them.

    44 Abimelech and his company rushed forward and took their position at the entrance of the city gate, while the other two companies struck down those in the fields.

    45 Abimelech fought against the city all that day, captured it, killed its inhabitants, tore it down, and sowed it with salt.

    46 When all the citizens of the tower of Shechem heard about this, they went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith.

    47 When Abimelech was told that all the people of the tower of Shechem had gathered there,

    48 he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. There, Abimelech took an axe, cut off a branch from a tree, lifted it onto his shoulder, and said to his men, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do likewise."

  • Judg 9:22-27
    6 verses
    79%

    22 Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years.

    23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem acted treacherously against Abimelech.

    24 This happened so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be avenged, and their blood laid on their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the leaders of Shechem, who had supported him in killing his brothers.

    25 The leaders of Shechem set up ambushes on the mountaintops, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. This was reported to Abimelech.

    26 Gaal, the son of Ebed, and his brothers came to Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their trust in him.

    27 They went out into the fields, harvested their vineyards, trampled the grapes, and held a festival. They entered the temple of their god, where they ate, drank, and cursed Abimelech.

  • Judg 9:1-7
    7 verses
    77%

    1 Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem to visit his mother’s relatives. He spoke to them and to the entire family of his mother’s household, saying:

    2 "Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: that seventy men—all the sons of Jerubbaal—rule over you, or that one man rules over you?' Remember, I am your own flesh and blood."

    3 When Abimelech’s mother’s relatives spoke all of his words to the leaders of Shechem, their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."

    4 They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and with it Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men who followed him.

    5 He went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, escaped by hiding himself.

    6 Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo gathered together. They went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.

    7 When Jotham was told about this, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He raised his voice, called out, and said to them, "Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

  • Judg 9:16-20
    5 verses
    75%

    16 Now, if you acted faithfully and sincerely in making Abimelech king, and if you have treated Jerubbaal and his family well, and if you have repaid him in accordance with what he did for you—

    17 'because my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian—'

    18 but today you have risen up against my father’s house and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your brother—

    19 if you have acted faithfully and sincerely toward Jerubbaal and his family today, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

    20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo, and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and Beth-Millo and consume Abimelech.

  • 31 His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.

  • 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers.

  • Judg 8:1-2
    2 verses
    68%

    1 The men of Ephraim said to Gideon, 'What is this thing you have done to us by not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?' And they argued with him forcefully.

    2 But Gideon replied to them, 'What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s harvest better than the full harvest of Abiezer?'

  • 32 So that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, saying, 'Let Baal contend with him,' because he tore down Baal's altar.

  • 50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez. He camped there and captured it.

  • 10 But Nabal answered David’s servants, "Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Nowadays many servants are breaking away from their masters.

  • 6 But the leaders of Succoth replied, 'Are Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?'

  • 9 If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I defeat him and kill him, then you will be our servants and serve us.

  • 54 Hastily, he called to his young armor-bearer and said, "Draw your sword and kill me, so they cannot say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.