Gideon captures Zebah and Zalmunna in Karkor “foundation” where they had 15000 men all the survivors. The fallen ones were 120,000 men. Gideon descended by way of the tent dwellers east “judgment” of Nobah “barking” and Jogbehah “lofty”. Gideon struck the camp while it was complacent. Zebah and Zalmunna fled and he chased after them. He captured the two Kings of Midian and terrified the entire camp. Gideon then returns to punish Succoth and Penuel. He finds a youth in Succoth and questioned him. The youth wrote for him all the names of the leaders of Succoth and all the elders, 77 men. He showed them Zebah and Zalmunna and then thrashed these men with thorns and briers. He then broke down the tower of Penuel.
He asked Zebah and Zalmunna what sort of men did you kill in Tabor. they said that his appearance was like those of the men they had killed. He told him they were his brothers, the sons of his mother. He told Zebah and Zalmunna that if they had not killed them, then he would not kill them. He spoke to Jether “abundance” his 1st born to rise up and kill them, but he did not draw his sword for he was afraid and he was still a youth. Zebah and Zalmunna say to Gideon, “You arise and slay us for as a man is so is his strength” (Judges 8:21) So Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels.
The men of Israel asked for Gideon, his son, and his grandson to rule over them because he had saved them from Midian. Gideon counters and says I shall not rule over you, nor my son but YHVH shall rule over you. He asked for a nose ring from the booty of all the men be given to him. The weight of the nose rings was 1700 gold dinars aside from the crescents and pendants and purple wool garments worn by the kings of Midian and aside from the chains on the necks of the camels.
Gideon made an ephod and hung it in his city Parah. Eventually all of Israel strayed after it there and it became a snare for Gideon and his household. Midian was subdued before the Childen of Israel. They did not continue to raise their head and the land was tranquil for 40 years. Gideon had 70 sons, for he had many wives. His concubine in Shechem bore him a son Abimelech “My father is King”. Gideon son of Josh’s died at a good old age and was buried by the grave of Josh his father in Oprah of the Abiezerites. After Gideon died the Children of Israel once again went astray after Baalim and set Ball-berth as a god for themselves. The Children of Israel didn’t remember YHVH their God who rescued them from the hand of all their surrounding enemies. They also did not perform kindness with the household of Jerubaal, Gideon, commensurate with al the goodness that he had done in Israel.
6. Abimelech, son of Gideon, rises up and proclaims himself as king over his mother’s people. He coerces the people of Shechem to raise up and they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-berth and he hired boorish impetuous men. He came to his father’s house (Gideon) and murdered his brothers, sons of Jerubaal, 70 men at one rock but Jotham “YHVH is perfect”, Gideon’s youngest son survived. The men of Shechem and Beth-Millo “house of a rampart or mound” crowned Abimelech as king by the Plain of the Monument in Shechem.
Jotham stood atop Mount Gerizim “cuttings off” and cried out his parable to the inhabitants of Shechem. His parable tells what Abimelech did to gain favor and become king. His parable about the trees “believers” wanting to anoint a king over themselves. First to the olive tree, second to the fig tree, then to the grapevine, and finally to the thorn.
The olive tree refuses to not cause it’s richness to cease. The fig tree refuses to not cause it’s sweetness and goodly produce to cease. The grapevine refuses to not give up it’s vintage that gladdens God and men to wave over the trees. The thorn however accepts as long as the trees do honestly anoint me as king over you and come and take shelter in it’s shade. But if not then may a flame come forth from the torn and consume the cedars of Lebanon “whiteness”. Jotham settled in Beer because of his Abimelech his brother.
Note: the trees “Children of Israel” asked Gideon (olive tree), his son (fig tree) and grandson (grapevine) to rule over them but he refused and said that YHVH only should rule over them. The Abimelech (thorn) said to the trees do honestly anoint him as king he will let them take shelter in his shade. But thorns can’t provide shade. If not then a flame (spirit of ill will) comes forth from the thorn and consume the cedars of Lebanon.
Abimelech was master over Israel for 3 years, the YHVH sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem. The Shechemites betrayed Abimelech so that the violence against the 70 sons of Jerubaal (Gideon) would come back upon Abimelech their brother, who murdered Gideon’s 70 sons.
Gaal “loathing” son of Ebed “servant” cursed Abimelech. He said to the Shechemites that they shouldn’t follow Abimelech because his father was Gideon, not a descendant of Shechem, like Hamor (Gen 34). Zebul “exalted” the leader of the city heard Gaal and his wrath flared. He sent messengers to Abimelech telling him of Gaal and Ebed planning to rise up against Abimelech. Abimelech and his men came at night to ambush Shechem. Zebul drove out Gaal and his kinsman from living in Shechem. Abimelech destroyed Shechem and sowed salt in the city. Abimelech went to Thebez “conspicuous” and occupied it. Abimelech reached the tower in Thebez and fought against it, he approached the tower’s entrance to burn it. A certain woman threw down part of an upper millstone on Abimelech’s had and crushed his skull. He called to his attendant who was his armor bearer and said to him “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him’. His attendant stabbed him and he died. (vs 54). God repaid the evil of Abimelech that he had done to his father by murdering his 70 brothers and all the evil of the men of Shechem, God brought back upon their heads and the curse of Jotham son of Jerubaal came upon them.