Judges 9:28 Meaning and Explanation
“And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Gaal openly questions Abimelech's right to rule and urges loyalty to Shechem's old ancestral line instead.
What Does Judges 9:28 Mean?
Emboldened by the feast, Gaal stands and mocks Abimelech's authority: who is he, that Shechem should serve him? He dismisses him as merely Gideon's son with Zebul as his deputy, and calls the people instead to serve the ancient line of Hamor, Shechem's founding father.
Gaal turns the people's own logic against Abimelech -- if kinship is the measure, why serve a half-outsider rather than their oldest blood? The same appeal to ancestry that raised Abimelech now threatens to topple him. Loyalty rooted in pride and bloodline is fickle and easily reversed. The city that lives by 'he is our brother' will fall by it too.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 9:28
What does Judges 9:28 mean?
Gaal openly questions Abimelech's right to rule and urges loyalty to Shechem's old ancestral line instead.