Gideon’s Son: Abimelech

The story of Gideon’s son, Abimelech, is recorded in Judges Chapter 9. “Gideon had seventy sons, his direct descendants, for he had many wives. His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.” (Judges 8:30-31). After Gideon rescued the Israelites, the people wanted to make him their king, but Gideon refused, saying that the Lord alone should rule over them. However, as soon as Gideon passed away, his son Abimelech, born of a concubine, used vile means to gain the support of his mother’s family in Shechem, murdered his seventy brothers, and made himself king.

Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, escaped Abimelech’s slaughter. He ran to the top of Mount Gerizim and declared to the Israelites, “Since you have chosen Abimelech, who should not be king, to be your king, then you should truly and honestly honor him as king and follow his leadership, and may you find joy in him. But if you have acted with deceit rather than sincerity, then Abimelech will destroy you, and you will destroy Abimelech, until you are all utterly ruined.” After saying this, Jotham fled, fearing that Abimelech would pursue him.

Abimelech and the people of Shechem were both driven by their own selfish interests, each with deceitful intentions, and they conspired with one another. Abimelech wanted to use his family connection with the people of Shechem to make himself king. If the Israelites were to truly choose one of Gideon’s sons as king, Abimelech would never have been considered, as he was the son of a concubine, not a legitimate son. Abimelech was well aware of his status, which is why he used such treacherous means to seize the throne. Fearing opposition from his brothers, he struck first and killed them all. The people of Shechem, in turn, hoped that Abimelech would bring them benefits and be easily manipulated, so they supported his actions and made him their king. Their relationship was built on a foundation of selfishness and injustice, and it was inevitable that they would destroy each other.

Judges 9:22-24 states, “Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who dealt treacherously with Abimelech. God did this in order to avenge the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal [i.e., Gideon] and to bring the guilt of their murder on their brother Abimelech and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.”

Ultimately, Abimelech attacked Shechem, killed its inhabitants, and completely destroyed the city. The total destruction of Shechem was not just a result of human anger but a manifestation of God’s judgment. Since the people of Shechem no longer had the spiritual reality of the Levites (Joshua 21:21), the city lost its function as a City of Refuge (Joshua 20:7). God allowed them to bring disaster upon themselves and destroy their own city of refuge, depriving the Israelites in central Canaan of a place of grace and protection. The fall of God’s people from grace is a consequence of our own actions. Thus, the Holy Spirit reminds us to “keep yourselves in God’s love” (Jude 21).

Later, when Abimelech was attacking a nearby city called Thebez, a woman threw a millstone from the city wall and crushed his skull. Abimelech quickly called to his armorbearer and said, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that no one will say, ‘A woman killed him.'” So his servant ran him through, and he died. When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. Judges 9:56-57 concludes, “Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers. God also brought all the wickedness of the citizens of Shechem down on their own heads. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them.”

The tragedy of Abimelech proves that the ephod Gideon made became a snare for him and his entire family. It also reveals God’s sovereignty in history: anyone who worships idols, whether it be Gideon or the Israelites, will reap the consequences. Anyone who does evil, whether Abimelech or the people of Shechem, will not escape God’s retribution. And anyone who does not remember God, whether the Shechemites or the Israelites, will not escape His judgment.