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.
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and destroy the men of Shechem and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and the house of Millo, and destroy Abimelech.
The writer is recording a curse that predicts mutual destruction between Abimelech and the people of Shechem if they don't treat each other with integrity.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, Abimelech, the son of Gideon, manipulated the leaders of Shechem to kill his seventy brothers and crown him as king, driven by his ambition for power. Jotham, a surviving brother, stood on Mount Gerizim and delivered a parable followed by a curse, warning the people of Shechem about the consequences of their support for such evil. This verse is part of that curse, prophetically declaring that both Abimelech and the men of Shechem would face mutual destruction as divine judgment.
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