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.
All the men of Shechem and everyone from the house of Millo came together and made Abimelech their king. They did this ceremony by the oak tree that stood as a landmark in Shechem.
The people of Shechem officially crowned Abimelech as their king in a public ceremony at a well-known location in their city.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Judges, after the death of Gideon, his son Abimelech manipulated the leaders of Shechem, his mother's hometown, to support his bid for power, exploiting family ties and local loyalties. The men of Shechem and the house of Millo, a group likely representing key families or a fortified area, gathered at a prominent site to crown him king, reflecting the fragmented tribal politics of Israel during the era of the judges. This event underscores the instability and moral decline that often followed periods of deliverance in Israel's history.
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