Judges 9:6 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 9:1-6

We are here told by what arts Abimelech got into authority, and made himself great. His mother perhaps had instilled into his mind some towering ambitious thoughts, and the name his father gave him, carrying royalty in it, might help to blow up these sparks; and now that he has buried his father nothing will serve his proud spirit but he will succeed him in the government of Israel, directly contrary to his father's will, for he had declared no son of his should rule over them. He had no call... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 9:6

And all the men of Shechem gathered together ,.... Upon the return of Abimelech, after he with his banditti had committed the execrable murder of his brethren: and all the house of Millo ; which was either the men of a place near to Shechem, or of his brother's family, or of some grand leading family in Shechem; or it may mean the town hall, where the principal inhabitants met in full house, as Millo signifies, on this occasion: and went and made Abimelech king ; which was a most... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 9:6

And all the house of Millo - If Millo be the name of a place, it is nowhere else mentioned in the sacred writings. But it is probably the name of a person of note and influence in the city of Shechem - the men of Shechem and the family of Millo. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 9:6

Millo must have been a fortified place close to, but separate from, Shechem, and perhaps the same as the tower of Shechem mentioned in Judges 9:46-47. The building or enlarging of the better-known Millo, at Jerusalem was one of Solomon’s great works 1 Kings 9:15, 1 Kings 9:24. The population dwelling in Millo though perhaps numerically small, had great weight from possessing the stronghold. Their giving Abimelech the title of king indicates the strong Canaanite influence at Shechem. All the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 9:6

Judges 9:6. All the men of Shechem That is, the great men, the chief magistrates of the city; and the house of Millo Either some eminent and potent family living in or near Shechem, or the common council, the full house, or house of fulness, as the word signifies; those that met in their court-house or place of general assembly; g athered together Not to prosecute and punish Abimelech for this most barbarous murder, as they ought to have done, he being one of their citizens, but to... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 9:1-57

The story of Abimelech (9:1-57)Gideon had about seventy sons. One of these, Abimelech, was not a full-blooded Israelite, for his mother was a Shechemite. (The Shechemites were a group of Canaanites who lived peaceably among the Israelites; see Genesis 12:6; Genesis 34:1-31; Joshua 24:32.) With the help of some worthless Shechemites, Abimelech killed all his brothers (except one who escaped) and established himself ‘king’ in Shechem. His ‘kingdom’ probably consisted only of Shechem and a few... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 9:6

plain = oak. of the pillar. Genitive of Apposition = that is to say, the pillar made of oak. See Joshua 24:26 . Compare Genesis 28:18 , Genesis 28:22 ; Genesis 31:13 , Genesis 31:45 ; Genesis 35:14 , Genesis 35:20 ; 2 Samuel 18:18 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 9:6

Judges 9:6. And all the house of Millo— Bertram, in his book de Repub. Jud. is of opinion, that Millo is not a proper name in this place; but that as by the first phrase, all the men of Shechem, are understood all the principal men or elders of the city, so the latter phrase denotes all the citizens, who, in a full assembly, agreed to make Abimelech king. In the plain of the pillar, is rendered by Houbigant and many others, near the oak-grove, &c. See Isaiah 29:3. REFLECTIONS.—Abimelech... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 9:6

6. all the men of Shechem . . ., and all the house of Millo—that is, a mound or rampart, so that the meaning is, all the men in the house or temple; namely, the priests of Baal. made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar—rather, "by the oak near a raised mound"—so that the ceremony of coronation might be conspicuous to a crowd. :-. JOTHAM BY A PARABLE REPROACHES THEM. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Judges 9:1-6

Abimelech’s murders and election as king 9:1-6Though Gideon had rejected kingship officially (Judges 8:23), though not practically, Abimelech desired it for himself. He also hated his half-brothers, presumably because he was the son of a concubine rather than the son of one of Gideon’s wives (Judges 8:31). Shechem was one of the older city-states in Canaan. Canaanites were its primary inhabitants, as is evident from this story. They seem to have been even more open to having a king over them... read more