People of the Bible › Abimelech
Abimelech אֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ
A Judge. Abimelech, a son of Gideon, declared himself king of Shechem but was eventually killed when a millstone was dropped on his head during the siege of Thebez.
Also called Abimelek.
Family
Where Abimelech appears
Key verses
- Judges 8:31 first mention — And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
- Judges 9:1 — And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
- Judges 9:4 — And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
- Judges 9:6 — And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
- Judges 9:20 — But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
- Judges 9:23 — Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
- Judges 9:24 — That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
- Judges 9:27 — And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
- Judges 9:29 — And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
- Judges 9:45 — And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
- Judges 9:56 — Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
- 2 Samuel 11:21 — Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Person data: STEPBible.org TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0), adapted. Several people in the Bible share this name; this page is about the one described above. Verse text: King James Version.