Abimelech (3)

3. ABIMELECH, the Son of Gideon, was begotten of a Concubine, whom Gideon had at Shechem. After the death of his Father, he took possession of the Government, Judg. ix. 6. In the Year of the World 2768. before J. C. 1232. before the vulgar Æra 1236. Judg. ix. 22.and procured himself to be acknowledged King, or Judge of Israel, first by those of Shechem, where his Mother’s family had an interest, and afterwards by a great part of the other Israelites. They of Shechem having made a present to him of seventy shekels of Silver, with this Money he levied a troop of Vagabonds, who follow’d him. Being come to his Father Gideon’s house at Ophrah, he killed seventy Sons whom he had left behind him upon one Stone; so that Jotham only remained, the youngest of them all, who was concealed, and privately deliver’d from his Cruelty. Soon after the inhabitants of Shechem, with those of Millo, being all assembled near the Oak of Shechem to make Abimelech the Son of Gideon King, Jotham, upon receiving intelligence of their Design, appear’d upon the top of Mount Gerizim, and raising his Voice, address’d himself to the Assembly of the People in these Terms: “The Trees went forth on a time to appoint a King over them, and they said unto the Olive-tree Reign thou over us: But the Olive-tree said unto them, Should I leave my Fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and Man, and go to be promoted over the Trees? And the Trees said to the Fig-tree, Come thou and reign over us: but the Fig-tree said unto them, Should I forsake my Sweetness, and my good Fruit, and go to be promoted over the Trees? Then said the Trees unto the Vine, Come thou and reign over us; and the Vine said unto them, Should I leave my Wine, which cherisheth God and Man, and go to be promoted over the Trees? Then said all the Trees unto the Bramble, Come thou and reign over us; and the Bramble said unto them, If in truth ye anoint me to be King over you, then come and put your Trust in my shadow; and if not, let Fire come out of the Bramble, and devour the Cedars of Lebanon. Now therefore consider, said Jotham, proceeding in his Harangue, whether you had reason to elect Abimelech for your King, one who was the lowest of all Gideon’s Family, and whether you have acknowledged as you ought to do the Services of my Father, who deliver’d you from the Bondage of the Midianites, and exposed his Life to procure your Liberty, by chusing that Person for your King who upon one Stone murder’d seventy of my Father’s Sons, thereby demonstrating your Approbation of this Action, and making yourselves Accomplices in it. You have chosen Abimelech to be your Prince, who is the Son of my Father’s Maidservant: If in this Particular your Conduct be just, may Abimelech and you contribute to the Happiness of each other; but if you have acted contrary to all Equity, may Abimelech and the Inhabitants of Shechem and Millo, be mutually the Destruction of each other; “ may¹ ” may Fire issue out from each to the utter Ruin of you all.” Having so said, he fled, and retired to Beer, where he dwelt, fearing the violence of Abimelech. The Lord permitted Division to arise very soon among the Inhabitants of Shechem, who beginning to reflect on the injustice of their Conduct, detested the Cruelty of Abimelech, who had massacred seventy Sons of Gideon his Father. While therefore he was absent, they revolted from him, and laid an Ambuscade in the Mountains, with a design to kill him in his return to Shechem. Abimelech had intelligence of what was doing from Zebul, whom he had left Governour of Shechem. Those of the City had invited one Gaal to their assistance, with whom, at a great entertainment, they began to utter a thousand Imprecations against Abimelech; who in the mean time got some Troops together, and marched all night towards Shechem. The next day in the morning it was perceived that there were People descending from the Hills, and it was immediately discovered that Abimelech was there with his Forces. Gaal went out of Shechem with what Soldiers he had, and gave Battle to Abimelech, but lost it; and as he was endeavouring to re -enter the City, Zebul forced him from thence, and obliged him to retire.

Observations on the Battle fought near Shechem, between Gaal and Abimelech.☞ To give a true and accurate explanation of this Battle we are not obliged to have recourse to Conjectures, nothing being more exact and clear than the account we have from Scripture of the order and disposition of the two Armies.

Upon the intelligence which Abimelech Judg. ix. 30, &c.received from Zebul, who commanded in Shechem, that Gaal had made himself Master of it, and had a number of Troops sufficient to encourage him to take the Field, and try the Fortune of a Battle; he resolved to march towards him under the favour of a dark night, and attack him in the Plain, to prevent by this means his engaging in a Siege, and giving the Enemy an opportunity to look about him, and take those Advantages which a surprize never fails to deprive us of. If we were to keep to the French Translation, we might imagine from Zebul’s message to Abimelech, that the latter was superior to his Adversary in the number of his Troops. This Passage might be produced as a proof of it, Gaal and the People that is with him will come out against thee, then, usez de vos forces. Which words usez de vos forces, might be understood as if Abimelech was the strongest in number; but the Latin Text to me seems to say the quite contrary, fac ei quod potueris, do all that is possible for you to do against such an Enemy. I am very much inclined to think that he was inferior to the other, or at least that their Forces were on both sides pretty equal. Had Abimelech been the strongest, he would have attempted something against the City, or Gaal would not have ventured out of it; but he lay waiting for the appearance of day, behind the Mountains near Shechem, lest he should be discovered by the Inhabitants who were marched out of the City, and had had all that time to range themselves in order of Battle, and choose the most advantageous Post to engage in.

The Author makes use of the Word Insidiæ, which in the case here before us does not seem to me to signify an Ambuscade laid for Gaal; for by the word Ambuscade is meant a covert or secret place, where People lie in wait for an Enemy in order to surprize and hem him in on all sides. Whereas it was Abimelech’s design to quit this Post, and march forward to his Enemies, in order to engage them in the Plain without the City: Let this be as it will, Abimelech, after he had allowed his Troops some time to rest themselves in a place which was not in the least proper for an Ambuscade, descends about break of day from the Mountains, or shews himself upon the Hills, in order to leave his Enemy at liberty to draw all his Troops out of the City, and fall upon him with all his Forces, without giving him leisure to recover out of the Surprize wherein he expected certainly to find him. It appears that Gaal had intelligence of his Adversary’s advancing towards him. It appears likewise, that Zebul, whom he did not in the least distrust, had given him certain notice of their march; Treacheries of this kind are hard to be discovered, and the Traitors who are concerned in them pass always for Men of fidelity with a rash and unexperienced General. Gaal shews Zebul that his Enemies appeared upon the Eminences near the City, but pretends not to be assured of it. To this Zebul replies, Thou seest the shadow of the Mountains, which seem to be Mens heads to thee, and this deceives thee. At length Gaal demonstrates to him that they are the Enemy. The Traitor hereupon observing him to be in dispute with himself what resolution to take, and fearing lest he should pursue one quite contrary to that which he had determined upon when he was at a distance from Abimelech, and which was the least discreet and prudent one that he could follow, he endeavours to engage him to it by the sharpness of his Raillery, saying, Where is now thy Mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the People that thou hast despised? Go out, I pray thee, now, and fight with them. He marched out therefore, without doubt hastily; which Abimelech made advantage of. It is clear from the account in Scripture that Abimelech drew up his Army in four Bodies. It is probable that Gaal’s Troops appeared in the same Order, and like People surprized were broke at the first onset.

The next day after Gaal’s defeat the Men of Shechem all in Arms made a sally upon Abimelech; but he being before inform’d of their design, had divided his Army into three Bodies, and dispos’d it in Ambuscade at different places. As soon therefore as the Shechemites appeared, he rose from the place of his concealment, and charged them so fiercely, that he broke and routed them. Then the rest of his People, who had hitherto kept close, rose likewise from the place where they lay hid, and pursued the Run-a-ways through the Plain. As for Abimelech, he marched directly to the City, and having battered it for one whole day, he made himself Master of it, sack’d and destroy’d it in such a manner that he sowed Salt upon the ground where it stood. Those of Shechem who escaped, fled to a Tower which was extremely strong. Abimelech resolved that they should all perish in it; to this end he went with his People to Mount Zalmon, and having cut down great quantities of Wood, he set fire to the Tower, and all who were in it were either destroyed by the flames, or stifled with the smoke. See hereafter, TOWER OF SHECHEM.

Observations on the Battle between Abimelech and the Shechemites. Judg. ix.Abimelech had defeated Gaal near Shechem, who was determined to be revenged of him; by which resolution it appears that Abimelech’s Victory was a little dubious, or that it was no more than a Rout; now a Rout so near a place of strength cannot be supposed to be very bloody. Without question Zebul informed Abimelech of this Enterprize, and was as much consulted by Gaal, as he had been the day before. We must imagine that the word Ambuscade, which the Scripture every where makes use of, had different significations: There is no room to doubt of this, if we consider with the least attention the different Actions wherein this word is employed; for we shall find that it rarely signifies an Ambuscade in the literal sense of this Term; nor even a Stratagem, or piece of martial Cunning. This deserves notice, for it is not said that the Shechemites fell into a Snare laid for them by Abimelech, who perhaps was encamp’d behind the Hills near the City, where he waited till Gaal should lead his Troops out, in order to engage him in the Plain. Abimelech took his Army, says the sacred Author, and divided it into three Companies, and laid Ambuscades for them in the Fields: When he saw therefore that the Inhabitants were come forth out of the City he rose from his Ambuscade. In this Action Abimelech drew up his Forces in three Bodies, in tres turmas. I should be glad to know whether the word turmas answers to the Hebrew term in this place; the Latin word here used signifies a Squadron; now it is certain that the two Armies were composed of Foot only. I know very well that the word cohors does not always mean a Body of between five and six hundred Foot. In Vegetius it is often taken for a Wing. The turmæ of the Asiatick People were very large, they consisted frequently of a thousand Horse in front and depth, as may be seen in many places of Polybius, and in Xenophon’s Retreat. It may be very well supposed therefore, that the Jews might alike call a large Body of Horse or Foot turmæ. But however this may be, Abimelech might notwithstanding draw up his Army in three Bodies, encamp in the same disposition, and engage the Enemy, who perhaps were ranged in the same order. But I return to the word Ambush, which perplexes me as often as I meet with it in Scripture, where, as I have said already, it is frequently made use of. I am of Opinion, that this word was farther used to signify leaving one’s Post, and marching towards the Enemy. See what D. Calmet says under the word Ambushes. I shall say nothing of what happeded on the score of Gaal’s Defeat, but shall refer the Reader to the Author’s learned Comment, which is admirable, and abounds with curious and uncommon Learning.

From Shechem Abimelech marched towards the City of Thebez, which was about three Leagues Eastward from it, and had likewise taken up Arms against him. The People of Thebez had all retired to a strong Tower situated in the midst of the City, and there had fortified themselves. Abimelech made his Approaches, and was determin’d to set fire to the Gate; but a Woman from the top of the Tower throwing a piece of a Milstone on his Head, broke his Skull so that his Brains issued from the Wound. He immediately therefore called his Armour-bearer, and said, Draw thy Sword and slay me, that Men say not of me, a Woman slew him. When they who followed him saw him dead, they all returned to their own Houses. This happened in the Year of the World 2769. before J. C. 1231. before the vulgar Æra 1235. Tola succeeded him in his Office of Judge of Israel.

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