Judges 9:4 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Money from a pagan temple funds Abimelech's band of reckless men.
What Does Judges 9:4 Mean?
The Shechemites finance Abimelech with seventy pieces of silver drawn from the temple of Baal-berith, their local idol. With this tainted money he hires worthless and reckless men to be his followers.
Idolatry and violence go hand in hand here: silver dedicated to a false god buys a gang of lawless men. The number seventy quietly foreshadows the seventy brothers about to die. When a cause is built on idols and bought loyalty, it attracts the rootless and the ruthless. Scripture shows that what is funded by what is unholy tends to bear unholy fruit.
Judges 9:4 in the Original Language
Baalberith (בַּעַל בְּרִית), 'lord of the covenant' -- the name of Shechem's idol, a covenant-god set up in place of the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 9:4
What does Judges 9:4 mean?
Money from a pagan temple funds Abimelech's band of reckless men.