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They gave him seventy pieces[a] of silver from the house of Baal of the Covenant. With the money, Abimelek hired worthless, reckless men, who traveled with him. He came to his father’s household at Ophrah, and he murdered his brothers, the sons of Jerubbaal—seventy men slaughtered on one stone. Only one remained alive, Jotham son of Jerubbaal, the youngest, for he had hidden himself. Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered together, and they went and crowned Abimelek as king by the oak tree next to the memorial pillar that was in Shechem.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:4 The Hebrew text does not provide any unit of measurement. It is probably shekels.

They gave him seventy shekels[a] of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,(A) and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels,(B) who became his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers,(C) the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham,(D) the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding.(E) Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo(F) gathered beside the great tree(G) at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 9:4 That is, about 1 3/4 pounds or about 800 grams

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

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.

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.

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