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.
This happened so that the terrible murder of Gideon's seventy sons would be punished, and their blood would be on the hands of their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who helped him murder his brothers.
This verse explains that God was bringing justice for the brutal murder of seventy innocent men by ensuring their killers would face consequences.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, which recounts the period of Israel's judges before the monarchy, Abimelech, the son of Gideon (also called Jerubbaal), plotted to gain power by killing his seventy half-brothers with the support of the leaders in Shechem. This massacre was a ruthless act of ambition that sparked civil war and divine judgment against the perpetrators. The verse specifically points to God's plan to hold Abimelech and his accomplices accountable for this bloodshed.
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