9:1,2
Some treat Abimelek (or Abimelech) as a separate section, but in reality it is a continuation of the Gideon section. He was one of Gideon’s many sons, and he did not set Israel free from any oppression. Nor is there any “Israel did evil ....” introduction to the section. Abimelek had ambitions! He went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and suggested it was better for them to have a single ruler, namely himself, rather than all seventy of Gideon’s sons ruling over them. Moreover Abimelek was a man of Shechem, so their ruler would be one of their own.
9:3-6
The suggestion went down well with the people of Shechem. Then “reckless scoundrels” were hired to become his followers. This was followed by the murder of all the seventy brothers, bar one. Jotham, the youngest, managed to escape. Abimelek was then crowned king. This reads like a third world coup d’etat. It reflects badly on Abimelek himself, but is also a commentary on the state of society. It is often said that we get the rulers we deserve, and this is an example of that.
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