Comentario del capítulo
Judges Capítulo 9
1
Jud 9:1-6.
繁體中文
Original en inglés
Jud 9:1-6.
ABIMELECH IS MADE KING BY THE SHECHEMITES.
1. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem--The idolatry which had been stealthily creeping into Israel during the latter years of Gideon was now openly professed; Shechem was wholly inhabited by its adherents; at least, idolaters had the ascendency. Abimelech, one of Gideon's numerous sons, was connected with that place. Ambitious of sovereign power, and having plied successfully the arts of a demagogue with his maternal relatives and friends, he acquired both the influence and money by which he raised himself to a throne.
communed . . . with all the family of the house of his mother's father--Here is a striking instance of the evils of polygamy--one son has connections and interests totally alien to those of his brothers.
2
Sin título
繁體中文
2. 你們看怎樣好，是讓耶路巴力眾子……還是讓一個人管轄你們——這是別有用心的誣控，巧妙設計來挑起嫉妒與恐慌。基甸曾滿懷厭惡地拒絕了讓自己或家中任何人作王的提議，也沒有任何證據表明他的其他兒子覬覦這尊位。
Original en inglés
2. Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, . . . or that one reign over you--a false insinuation, artfully contrived to stir up jealousy and alarm. Gideon had rejected, with abhorrence, the proposal to make himself or any of his family king, and there is no evidence that any of his other sons coveted the title.
4
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4. 巴力比利土之廟——可能指廟，也可能指敬拜這偶像的地方；「巴力比利土」即「立約之神」，城邦之間的聯盟便是奉其名而立的。
亞比米勒用銀子雇了些匪徒跟隨他——指游手好閒、無賴之徒，社會的渣滓，他們一無所失，卻可從革命的成功中得著許多。
Original en inglés
4. the house of Baal-berith--either the temple, or the place where this idol was worshipped; Baal-berith, "god of the covenant," by invocation of whom the league of cities was formed.
Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him--idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement.
5
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繁體中文
5. 往……俄弗拉去，殺了他的弟兄——即在一塊磐石上。這裏首次提及東方專制國家以駭人的頻率一再發生的殘暴罪行——已故君王的一個兒子篡奪王位，並急忙屠盡一切天然或合法的競爭者來鞏固自己的王權。亞比米勒在一塊磐石上殺了他的弟兄，要麼是將他們從一塊磐石上摔下，要麼是把他們獻在一座石壇上，以報其父拆毀巴力壇之仇。後一種說法更有可能，因示劍人
（士9:24）
也參與其事。
七十人——用的是整數，但顯然還差兩人才能湊足此數。
Original en inglés
5. went unto . . . Ophrah, and slew his brethren i. e., upon one stone--This is the first mention of a barbarous atrocity which has, with appalling frequency, been perpetrated in the despotic countries of the East--that of one son of the deceased monarch usurping the throne and hastening to confirm himself in the possession by the massacre of all the natural or legitimate competitors. Abimelech slew his brethren on one stone, either by dashing them from one rock, or sacrificing them on one stone altar, in revenge for the demolition of Baal's altar by their father. This latter view is the more probable, from the Shechemites
(Jud 9:24)
aiding in it.
threescore and ten persons--A round number is used, but it is evident that two are wanting to complete that number.
6
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繁體中文
6. 示劍眾人……和米羅全家——「米羅」即土堆或壁壘之意，所以這話的意思是：那房屋或廟中的一切人，也就是巴力的祭司。
在平原的柱子旁邊立亞比米勒為王——更準確說是「在靠近一個高堆的橡樹旁」——這樣加冕的儀式便能讓群眾清楚看見。
Original en inglés
6. all the men of Shechem . . ., and all the house of Millo--that is, a mound or rampart, so that the meaning is, all the men in the house or temple; namely, the priests of Baal.
made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar--rather, "by the oak near a raised mound"--so that the ceremony of coronation might be conspicuous to a crowd.
7
Jud 9:7-21.
繁體中文
Jud 9:7-21.
約坦用比喻責備他們。
7. 他……站在基利心山頂上喊叫——他所選的地方如同房頂一樣，是示劍的公共場所；他所講的比喻
[士9:8-15]
取材於眾樹之間的爭競，正與谷中樣的樹木相映成趣。東方人極愛比喻，常用以傳達那些無法直言的責備。基利心山頂在城後並不算太高，反而更接近平原。他只要稍用一點嗓音，城裏的人便能輕易聽見；因為山坡正好俯臨山谷，人站在山腰或山頂，對山腳下的聽眾說話毫無困難。近代史也曾記載：山上的兵丁向城裏的人呼喊，企圖煽動他們造反。東方氣候中空氣的彈性，使聲音的傳播異常迅速清晰〔哈克特〕。
Original en inglés
Jud 9:7-21.
JOTHAM BY A PARABLE REPROACHES THEM.
7. he . . . stood in the top of mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice--The spot he chose was, like the housetops, the public place of Shechem; and the parable
[Jud 9:8-15]
drawn from the rivalry of the various trees was appropriate to the diversified foliage of the valley below. Eastern people are exceedingly fond of parables and use them for conveying reproofs, which they could not give in any other way. The top of Gerizim is not so high in the rear of the town, as it is nearer to the plain. With a little exertion of voice, he could easily have been heard by the people of the city; for the hill so overhangs the valley, that a person from the side or summit would have no difficulty in speaking to listeners at the base. Modern history records a case, in which soldiers on the hill shouted to the people in the city and endeavored to instigate them to an insurrection. There is something about the elastic atmosphere of an Eastern clime which causes it to transmit sound with wonderful celerity and distinctness [HACKETT].
13
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繁體中文
13. 葡萄酒，能使神和人喜樂——當然不是以同樣的方式。當獻祭蒙悅納時，可說神因之「喜樂」，正如油也稱為榮耀神之物
（士9:9）。
Original en inglés
13. wine, which cheereth God and man--not certainly in the same manner. God might be said to be "cheered" by it, when the sacrifices were accepted, as He is said also to be honored by oil
(Jud 9:9).
21
Sin título
繁體中文
21. 約坦……逃到比珥去——即今日的埃爾比雷村，位於耶路撒冷以北視野所及的山脊上。
Original en inglés
21. Joatham . . . went to Beer--the modern village El-Bireh, on the ridge which bounds the northern prospect of Jerusalem.
22
Jud 9:22-49.
繁體中文
Jud 9:22-49.
迦勒的陰謀。
22. 亞比米勒管理以色列人三年——他的統治起初大概不出示劍之外；但藉著暗中而逐步的侵佔，他使鄰近的一些城鎮也服於他的權下。在以色列中，除了背叛篡位之外，無人能「治理」；因此亞比米勒的統治在原文中用的是表示「專制」之詞，而不是描述士師那溫和且為神所授權之治理的詞。
Original en inglés
Jud 9:22-49.
GAAL'S CONSPIRACY.
22. When Abimelech had reigned three years--His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge.
23
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繁體中文
23. 神差遣惡靈降在亞比米勒和示劍人中間——在神的護理之中，嫉妒、猜疑、隱秘的不滿和壓抑的叛意在他的臣民中浮現，他們對他的暴政深感失望與厭惡；神容許這些動亂發生，為要懲罰這位殺害手足的君王與拜偶像的篡位者所犯的種種罪行。
Original en inglés
23. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem--In the course of providence, jealousy, distrust, secret disaffection, and smothered rebellion appeared among his subjects disappointed and disgusted with his tyranny; and God permitted those disorders to punish the complicated crimes of the royal fratricide and idolatrous usurper.
26
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繁體中文
26. 迦勒……和他的弟兄們來……示劍人都信靠他——終於在示劍爆發了一場由本地迦南人發起、以此人為首的叛亂。
Original en inglés
26. Gaal . . . came with his brethren . . ., and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him--An insurrection of the original Canaanites, headed by this man, at last broke out in Shechem.
28
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繁體中文
28-45. 惟願這民歸我管理——這人似乎是個誇大、無恥而懦弱的人，完全不配在革命的危機中擔任領袖。結果他任由自己陷入埋伏，被擊敗，示劍城被毀並撒上了鹽。百姓逃入堡壘之中，堡壘被火焚燒，其中所有的人盡都滅亡。
Original en inglés
28-45. would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The consequence was that he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush, was defeated, the city of Shechem destroyed and strewn with salt. The people took refuge in the stronghold, which was set on fire, and all in it perished.
50
Jud 9:50-57.
繁體中文
Jud 9:50-57.
亞比米勒被殺。
50. 亞比米勒到提備斯，向提備斯安營——即今日的圖巴斯——離示劍不遠。
Original en inglés
Jud 9:50-57.
ABIMELECH SLAIN.
50. Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez--now Tubas--not far from Shechem.
51
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繁體中文
51-53. 眾男女……都上了樓頂——迦南人的堡壘通常是山上的要塞或據點，其中常有一座堅固的塔，作為最後的避難之所。亞述的浮雕提供了此處所描繪景象極為生動而精確的對應畫面，我們幾乎可以把它們當作同一歷史事件的再現。被圍困的城——城內堅固的塔——擁擠在城垛上的男女——應用於門上的火，甚至從守軍一人手中落下的大石塊砸在攻城者頭上——這一切都栩栩如生地呈現出來，正如默示真理的敘事在此所記載的一樣 [高斯]。
Original en inglés
51-53. all the men and women, . . . gat them up to the top of the tower--The Canaanite forts were generally mountain fastnesses or keeps, and they often had a strong tower which served as a last refuge. The Assyrian bas-reliefs afford counterparts of the scene here described so vivid and exact, that we might almost suppose them to be representations of the same historic events. The besieged city--the strong tower within--the men and women crowding its battlements--the fire applied to the doors, and even the huge fragments of stone dropping from the hands of one of the garrison on the heads of the assailants, are all well represented to the life--just as they are here described in the narrative of inspired truth [GOSS].
Jud 9:1-6.
亞比米勒被示劍人擁立為王。
1. 耶路巴力之子亞比米勒往示劍去——基甸晚年時一直暗中潛入以色列的偶像崇拜，如今已公然宣告；示劍的居民全都是偶像之徒，至少拜偶像者佔了上風。基甸眾多兒子之一的亞比米勒與那地方有淵源。他覬覦王權，便在母系親屬朋友中成功運用煽動伎倆，得到了使他登上寶座的影響力和金錢。
與……他外祖父全家商議——這裡是一個多妻之害的典型例子：一個兒子的關係和利益與他的弟兄們截然不同、互不相干。