KJV ORIGINAL
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then God sent a spirit of discord between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and the men of Shechem turned against Abimelech and betrayed him.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God allowed conflict and betrayal to arise between Abimelech and his supporters as judgment for their evil actions.
📚 Historical Context
Abimelech was the son of Gideon who murdered his 70 brothers to become king over Shechem. This verse comes after he had ruled for three years through violence and treachery. The people of Shechem had initially supported his brutal rise to power, but now God was bringing judgment on both Abimelech and his co-conspirators.
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