Judges 9:2

9:2 “Tell ¹  all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want ²  to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” ³ 

Judges 9:28

9:28 Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerub-Baal, and is not Zebul the deputy he appointed? ⁴  Serve the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem! But why should we serve Abimelech? ⁵ 

Judges 9:46

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem ⁶  heard the news, they went to the stronghold ⁷  of the temple of El-Berith. ⁸ 

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¹ tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

² tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

³ tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

⁴ tn Heb “and Zebul his appointee.”

⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abimelech) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

⁷ tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.

⁸ sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.