The Meaning of Judges 9:24 Explained

Judges 9:24

KJV: 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.

YLT: for the coming in of the violence to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, and of their blood to place it on Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and on the masters of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.

Darby: that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubba'al might come and their blood be laid upon Abim'elech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers.

ASV: that the violence done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brethren.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 9:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 9:22-40 - The Kindling Fire
Although this is a sordid story, it is set out at length to teach us that God's judgments upon sin are not reserved for some future date, but are continually being administered. The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son, and throughout the ages of human history, he has been dividing men and nations, as the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Peter tells us, for instance, that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were condemned to destruction, as an example to those who lived "ungodly," 2 Peter 2:6. Adonibezek bore witness to the same great law, Judges 1:7. The Psalms are full of it-see Psalms 7:15-17. Here it is also. Shechem rued the evil compact with Abimelech, the fratricide. Contention and bloodshed were their plentiful reward.
Let us keep calm and quiet, when wicked men attain to great power and spread themselves as "a green tree in its native soil." We need not fret ourselves to do evil. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, for the Lord loveth judgment and forsaketh not His saints. They are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. See Psalms 37:1-40. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 9

1  Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7  Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22  Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30  Zebul reveals it
34  Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46  He burns the hold of the god Berith
50  At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56  Jotham's curse is fulfilled

What do the individual words in Judges 9:24 mean?

that might be settled the crime [done] to seventy the sons of Jerubbaal and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother who killed them and on the men of Shechem who aided - him in the killing of his brothers
לָב֕וֹא חֲמַ֖ס שִׁבְעִ֣ים בְּנֵֽי־ יְרֻבָּ֑עַל וְדָמָ֗ם לָשׂ֞וּם עַל־ אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ אֲחִיהֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָרַ֣ג אוֹתָ֔ם וְעַל֙ בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־ חִזְּק֥וּ אֶת־ יָדָ֖יו לַהֲרֹ֥ג אֶת־ אֶחָֽיו

לָב֕וֹא  that  might  be  settled 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חֲמַ֖ס  the  crime  [done]  to 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָמָס  
Sense: violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice.
שִׁבְעִ֣ים  seventy 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שִׁבְעִים  
Sense: seventy.
בְּנֵֽי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְרֻבָּ֑עַל  of  Jerubbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְרֻבַּעַל  
Sense: name given to Gideon by his father when he destroyed the altar of Baal.
וְדָמָ֗ם  and  their  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
לָשׂ֞וּם  be  laid 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
אֲחִיהֶם֙  their  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הָרַ֣ג  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
וְעַל֙  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בַּעֲלֵ֣י  the  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בָּעַל 
Sense: owner, husband, lord.
שְׁכֶ֔ם  of  Shechem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁכֶם 
Sense: son of Hamor, the chieftain of the Hivites at Shechem at the time of Jacob’s arrival.
חִזְּק֥וּ  aided 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לַהֲרֹ֥ג  in  the  killing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
אֶחָֽיו  his  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.