Abimelech, the son of Gideon (also called Jerubbaal), is one of the most tragic figures in the book of Judges. Unlike the judges whom God raised up to deliver Israel, Abimelech seized power for himself and declared himself king. His life reveals the dangers of unchecked ambition, violence, and pride… and how God ultimately brings judgment on those who exalt themselves.
We are first introduced to Abimelech in Judges 8:30–31:
“Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.” (Judges 8:30–31)
Abimelech’s name means “My father is king.” This is striking, because Gideon had refused to become king when Israel offered him the throne (Judges 8:23). Yet his son, born of a concubine from Shechem, bore a name that hinted at royalty. Abimelech seems to have inherited both the ambition of his mother’s family and the prestige of his father’s victories.
Abimelech’s Appeal to Shechem
After Gideon’s death, Abimelech moved quickly to establish himself as ruler. He went to Shechem, his mother’s city, and appealed to his relatives:
“Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.” (Judges 9:2)
Abimelech framed his case in terms of family loyalty and convenience. Rather than being ruled by seventy sons of Gideon, he offered himself as the single ruler, their kinsman. The men of Shechem agreed, giving him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith to fund his campaign (Judges 9:4).
A Brutal Seizure of Power
With this money, Abimelech hired reckless men to follow him. Then he committed one of the most infamous acts in Israel’s history:
“Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.” (Judges 9:5)
Abimelech slaughtered his own brothers to remove any rivals to his throne. This act revealed the depravity of his ambitions, as he was willing to murder his family to secure power. Only Jotham escaped, and he would later pronounce a parable of judgment against Abimelech and Shechem.
After this massacre, the men of Shechem and Beth Millo crowned Abimelech king by the terebinth tree at Shechem (Judges 9:6). Unlike the true judges of Israel, who were raised up by God, Abimelech was set up as king by men, and through bloodshed.
His reign marks the only time in Judges where Israel is ruled by a king before the days of Saul. It was not God’s choice, but man’s.
Jotham’s Prophetic Parable
After Abimelech seized power through murder, his youngest surviving brother Jotham, stood on Mount Gerizim and shouted a parable of judgment to the men of Shechem:
“The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?’” (Judges 9:8–9)
The parable continues with a fig tree and a vine refusing to rule, until finally the bramble accepts. The bramble represents Abimelech,.. thorny, fruitless, and destructive. Jotham warns that if the people of Shechem had acted honorably in making Abimelech king, they may rejoice in each other. But if not, may fire come out from Abimelech to devour Shechem, and fire from Shechem to devour Abimelech (Judges 9:15, 20).
This prophecy set the stage for Abimelech’s downfall. Abimelech ruled Israel for three years (Judges 9:22). His reign was marked not by deliverance or justice, but by tyranny and self-interest. Unlike the judges raised up by God, Abimelech was installed by men through bloodshed, and his short reign reflected the instability of human ambition apart from divine calling.
After three years, God began to unravel Abimelech’s power:
“God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.” (Judges 9:23)
The very people who made him king turned against him. This fulfilled Jotham’s prophecy: fire would come from Abimelech to destroy Shechem, and fire from Shechem to destroy Abimelech.
Shechem Turns to Treachery
The men of Shechem began lying in wait for Abimelech, hoping to overthrow him. Gaal, the son of Ebed, stirred up rebellion, openly mocking Abimelech’s rule and questioning his legitimacy (Judges 9:28). He claimed leadership for himself, inviting the men of Shechem to follow him.
This led to open conflict between Gaal and Abimelech, marking the beginning of Abimelech’s violent collapse.
When Gaal stirred rebellion against Abimelech, Zebul, the ruler of Shechem and ally of Abimelech, secretly warned him of Gaal’s plot. Abimelech then ambushed Gaal and his followers:
“So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.” (Judges 9:34)
At dawn, Gaal saw the ambush and went out to fight. Abimelech’s forces defeated Gaal, driving him away. Zebul expelled him from Shechem, leaving Abimelech free to deal with the city itself.
The next day, Abimelech struck down the people of Shechem who came out into the fields. He captured the city, killed its inhabitants, tore it down, and sowed it with salt… a symbolic act of permanent desolation (Judges 9:45).
Those who survived fled to the temple of Baal-Berith, seeking refuge. But Abimelech set the stronghold on fire, killing about a thousand men and women inside (Judges 9:49). This brutal act fulfilled Jotham’s prophecy that fire would come from Abimelech to devour Shechem.
The Siege of Thebez
After destroying Shechem, Abimelech went on to attack Thebez, another city. The people took refuge in a strong tower within the city. Abimelech attempted the same strategy of burning them out by setting the entrance on fire.
But this time, his plan backfired:
“Then a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.” (Judges 9:53)
Realizing he was mortally wounded, Abimelech called for his armor-bearer to kill him, so that it would not be said a woman had killed him (Judges 9:54). His pride remained intact even as he died in shame.
Abimelech’s life ends with these sobering words:
“Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.” (Judges 9:56–57)
Abimelech’s bloody rise to power ended in a bloody downfall. His ambition led him to murder his brothers, but his reign brought only destruction… first to his people, then to himself.
My Final Thoughts
Abimelech’s life is a tragic warning about ambition, pride, and the dangers of seizing power outside of God’s will. Unlike the judges who were raised up by God to deliver Israel, Abimelech crowned himself king, was financed by idolatry and secured kingship through bloodshed. His reign was short, violent, and destructive, ending in humiliation at the hands of a woman.
His life reminds us that God is not mocked. What Abimelech sowed in murder and treachery, he reaped in rebellion and death. Jotham’s parable came true: the bramble king brought fire and ruin, both to Shechem and to himself.
For us today, Abimelech stands as a reminder that leadership without God’s calling brings disaster. Ambition that disregards righteousness will collapse under its own weight. And though men may crown themselves through violence, manipulation, or pride, God always has the final word. As Proverbs 16:18 declares: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
