Judges 9 · Verse 23

Judges 9:23

Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
Judges 9:23, King James Version

Judges 9:23 in other translations

BSBGod sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,
WEBThen God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
ASVAnd God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
YLTand God sendeth an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem, and the masters of Shechem deal treacherously with Abimelech,
DARBYAnd God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem; and the citizens of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
BBEAnd God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the townsmen of Shechem; and the townsmen of Shechem were false to Abimelech;
WebsterThen God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

What does Judges 9:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem--In the course of providence, jealousy, distrust, secret disaffection, and smothered rebellion appeared among his subjects disappointed and disgusted with his tyranny; and God permitted those disorders to punish the complicated crimes of the royal fratricide and idolatrous usurper.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 God sent an evil spirit - He permitted jealousies to take place which produced factions; and these factions produced insurrections, civil contentions, and slaughter.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 9:22-29

Abimelech is seated in the throne his father refused. But how long does this glory last? Stay but three years, and see the bramble withered and burned. The prosperity of the wicked is short and fickle. The Shechemites are plagued by no other hand than Abimelech's. They raised him unjustly to the throne; they first feel the weight of his sceptre.

Read the full comment on Judges 9:22-29 →

Judges 9:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
אֱלֹהִים֙'E.lo.HimGodH430
ר֣וּחַRu.acha spiritH7307
רָעָ֔הra.'AhevilH7451
בֵּ֣יןbeinbetweenH996
אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ'a.vi.Me.lekhAbimelechH40
וּבֵ֖יןu.Veinand betweenH996
בַּעֲלֵ֣יba.'a.Lei[the] citizens ofH1167
שְׁכֶ֑םshe.KhemShechemH7927
וַיִּבְגְּד֥וּvai.yiv.ge.Duand they dealt treacherouslyH898
בַעֲלֵי\־va.'a.lei-[the] citizens ofH1167
שְׁכֶ֖םshe.KhemShechemH7927
בַּאֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ\׃ba.'a.vi.Me.lekhwith AbimelechH40

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 9:23

  • Isaiah 33:1

    Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

  • Isaiah 19:14

    The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

    And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

  • Isaiah 19:2

    And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

  • 1 Samuel 18:9-10

    And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand.

  • Judges 9:15-16

    And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

  • Judges 9:20

    But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

  • Matthew 7:2

    For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

  • 1 Kings 22:22-23

    And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

  • 1 Samuel 16:14-16

    But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

  • 1 Kings 12:15

    Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

  • 2 Chronicles 18:19-22

    And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth–gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 2771. B.C. 1233. An. Ex. Is. 258. God.That is, God permitted the evil spirit of jealousy, treachery, and discord, to break out between Abimelech and the Shechemites.
15,20; 1Sa 16:14-16; 18:9,10; 1Ki 12:15; 22:22,23; 2Ch 10:15
2Ch 18:19-22; Isa 19:2,14; 2Th 2:11,12
dealt.
16; Isa 33:1; Mt 7:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 9:22

    When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

  • Judges 9:23

    Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:

  • Judges 9:24

    That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

Read all of Judges 9

Judges 9:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Envió Dios un espíritu malo entre Abimelech y los hombres de Sichêm: que los de Sichêm se levantaron contra Abimelech:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Dieu envoya un mauvais esprit entre Abimélec et les hommes de Sichem; et les hommes de Sichem agirent perfidement envers Abimélec,
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Gott sandte einen bösen Geist zwischen Abimelech und die Bürger von Sichem; und die Bürger von Sichem handelten treulos gegen Abimelech,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Misitque Dominus spiritum pessimum inter Abimelech et habitatores Sichem: qui cœperunt eum detestari,