Ἀβιμέλεχ

Proper name.¹
The son of Gideon.² He smote his brothers, seventy sons of Gideon's wives,³ upon a single stone, and none of them was left except Jotham the youngest son,⁴ who ran away. As Abimelech was passing through with his people, Jotham went up to the top of the mountain and, raising his voice, told the following parable. "Listen to me, men of Shechem, and God will listen to you. The trees set out⁵ to anoint a king over themselves. And they said to the olive, 'Rule over us.' And the olive said to them, 'Should I give up my rich oil, by which -- through me -- God⁶ and men receive honor,⁷ and go rule over trees?' Then the trees said to the fig, 'Come, rule over us.' And the fig said to them, 'Should I give up my sweetness, my excellent product, and go to rule over the trees?' And the trees said to the vine, 'Come, rule over us.' And the vine said to them, 'Should I give up my wine, merriment for men, and go to rule over the trees?' And all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come, you rule over us.' And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If you are truly anointing me to rule over you, come stand under⁸ my shade. But if not, may fire come from me and consume the cedars of Lebanon↗.' Now, if you have dealt with my father and his family truthfully and in an upright way, and have made his concubine's son Abimelech king over the men of Shechem, then may you rejoice in him and may he indeed rejoice in you. But if not, may fire issue from Abimelech and consume your leaders and their families. And may fire issue from the men of Shechem and consume Abimelech." And Jotham ran from the presence of Abimelech his brother. But Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. Then God sent an evil spirit between⁹ Abimelech and the men of Shechem. And the men of Shechem dealt treacherously¹⁰ with the house of Abimelech so to lay at Abimelech's feet¹¹ the blood of Gideon's seventy sons. And so Abimilech set out to beseige the tower.¹² As he approached the tower gate to burn it, a woman threw a piece of a millstone onto his head and crushed his skull. He at once called out to his armor bearer¹³, saying, "Draw your sword and kill me, so they can never say I was killed by a woman." So the young man took up his sword and ran him through. And God recompensed the wickedness Abimelech had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. God also recompensed¹⁴ all the wickedness of the men of Shechem, in accord with the message and parable of Jotham.