Judges 9 · Verse 5

Judges 9:5

And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
Judges 9:5, King James Version

Judges 9:5 in other translations

BSBHe went to his father’s house in Ophrah, and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, because he hid himself.
WEBHe went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, on one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.
ASVAnd he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
YLTand he goeth into the house of his father at Ophrah, and slayeth his brethren, sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; and Jotham, youngest son of Jerubbaal, is left, for he was hidden.
DARBYAnd he came to his father's house, to Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy persons upon one stone; but there remained Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal; for he had hid himself.
BBEThen he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and put his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, to death on the same stone; however, Jotham, the youngest, kept himself safe by going away to a secret place.
WebsterAnd he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being seventy persons, upon one stone; notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

What does Judges 9:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. went unto ... Ophrah, and slew his brethren i. e., upon one stone--This is the first mention of a barbarous atrocity which has, with appalling frequency, been perpetrated in the despotic countries of the East--that of one son of the deceased monarch usurping the throne and hastening to confirm himself in the possession by the massacre of all the natural or legitimate competitors. Abimelech slew his brethren on one stone, either by dashing them from one rock, or sacrificing them on one stone altar, in revenge for the demolition of Baal's altar by their father. This latter view is the more probable, from the Shechemites (Jud 9:24) aiding in it. threescore and ten persons--A round number is used, but it is evident that two are wanting to complete that number.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Slew his brethren - His brothers by the father's side, Jdg 8:30. This was a usual way of securing an ill-gotten throne; the person who had no right destroying all those that had right, that he might have no competitors. Yet Jotham - was left - That is, all the seventy were killed except Jotham, if there were not seventy besides Jotham. All the histories of all the nations of the earth are full of cruelties similar to those of Abimelech: cousins, uncles, brothers, husbands, and fathers have been murdered by their cousins, nephews, brothers, wives, and children, in order that they might have the undisturbed possession of an ill-gotten throne. Europe, Asia, and Africa, can witness all this. Even now, some of these horribly obtained governments exist.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 9:1-6

The men of Shechem chose Abimelech king. God was not consulted whether they should have any king, much less who it should be. If parents could see what their children would do, and what they are to suffer, their joy in them often would be turned into sorrow: we may be thankful that we cannot know what shall happen. Above all, we should fear and watch against sin; for our evil conduct may produce fatal effects upon…

Read the full comment on Judges 9:1-6 →

Judges 9:5 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.

וַיָּבֹ֤אvai.ya.Vo'and he wentH935
בֵית\־veit-[the] house ofH1004
אָבִיו֙'a.Vivfather hisH1
עָפְרָ֔תָה'a.fe.Ra.tahOphrah towardsH6084
וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֞גvai.ya.ha.Rogand he killedH2026
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אֶחָ֧יו'e.Chavbrothers hisH251
בְּנֵֽי\־be.nei-[the] sons ofH1121
יְרֻבַּ֛עַלye.ru.Ba.'alJerub-BaalH3378
שִׁבְּעִ֥יםshiv.'ImseventyH7657
אִ֖ישׁ'ishmanH376
עַל\־'al-onH5921
אֶ֣בֶן'E.venstoneH68
אֶחָ֑ת'e.ChatoneH259
וַיִּוָּתֵ֞רvai.yi.va.Terand he was leftH3498
יוֹתָ֧םyo.TamJothamH3147
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
יְרֻבַּ֛עַלye.ru.Ba.'alJerub-BaalH3378
הַקָּטֹ֖ןha.ka.Ton<the> youngH6996
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
נֶחְבָּֽא\׃\ \סnech.Ba'he hid himselfH2244

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

Cross references for Judges 9:5

  • 2 Kings 11:1-2

    And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

  • 2 Chronicles 21:4

    Now when Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself, and slew all his brethren with the sword, and divers also of the princes of Israel.

  • Judges 6:24

    Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah–shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi–ezrites.

  • Matthew 2:16

    Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

  • 2 Kings 10:17

    And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah.

  • Matthew 2:20

    Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

  • Judges 9:2

    Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

  • Judges 8:30

    And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
at Ophrah.
6:24
slew.
2Ki 10:17; 11:1,2; 2Ch 21:4; Mt 2:16,20

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

Context

  • Judges 9:4

    And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal–berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.

  • Judges 9:5

    And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

  • Judges 9:6

    And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Read all of Judges 9

Judges 9:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y viniendo á la casa de su padre en Ophra, mató á sus hermanos los hijos de Jerobaal, setenta varones, sobre una piedra: mas quedó Jotham, el más pequeño hijo de Jerobaal, que se escondió.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il vint à la maison de son père, à Ophra, et tua sur une seule pierre ses frères, les fils de Jerubbaal, 70 hommes; mais Jotham, le plus jeune fils de Jerubbaal, demeura de reste, car il s’était caché.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und er kam in das Haus seines Vaters, nach Ophra, und ermordete seine Brüder, die Söhne Jerub-Baals, siebzig Mann auf einem Steine; aber Jotham, der jüngste Sohn Jerub-Baals, blieb übrig, denn er hatte sich versteckt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et venit in domum patris sui in Ephra, et occidit fratres suos filios Jerobaal, septuaginta viros super lapidem unum: remansitque Joatham filius Jerobaal minimus, et absconditus est.