旧约 - 士师记(Judges)第9章

And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,
Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.
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.
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;
(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
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.
And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,
Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
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.
And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?
And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.
And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.
Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:
And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.
And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.
And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.
And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.
And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.
And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
士师记第九章   第 9 章 

  亚比米勒 

  士 9:1-3> 亚比米勒与基甸有何不同之处? 

  9:1-3 基甸(又名耶路巴力,参 6:32 )死后,他的儿子亚比米勒想取代他的位置。为实行他的计划,他到母亲家乡示剑,争取人民支持。他与这里的居民有亲戚关系,他们是迦南人,当然喜欢联合起来对付以色列人。示剑是重要城市,是贸易要道,是迦南地海岸平原与约旦河谷的自然连系之处。凡是能控制示剑的人,也就能控制它的周围地区。 

  士 9:2-5> 权力欲可使人疯狂,亚比米勒就是一个例子…… 

  9:2-5 以色列人的君王应当是耶和华而非任何人,但亚比米勒想谋篡神所当有的地位。他出于自私,弑杀同父异母的弟兄 70 人,只有一人逃脱。有私欲之人,常常以残忍的手法来实行他们的计划。所以要检讨你的抱负,看是出于以自己为中心,还是以神为中心。必须以神所悦纳的方式,来成全你的愿望。 

  士 9:4> 你的信仰是出于真诚,还是因为方便、舒适,或有利可图呢? 

  9:4 在异教中,政治占有重要的地位,例如示剑人敬拜巴力比利土一事;政府也常常雇用庙妓来增加收入。在许多情形之下,政府设立并支持某种宗教,以便用宗教的献金作社会活动的经费,使宗教变成牟利的行业;神严禁以色列人行这事。神的宗教制度是要人出于内心的真诚,而不是精打细算求取商业上的机会。宗教是用来服事百姓、帮助穷人,而不是欺压穷人。 

  士 9:6> 你记得在示剑发生过的一些较大的历史事件吗? 

  9:6 亚比米勒在示剑被立为以色列的王,示剑也是圣经中许多重要事件发生之处。亚伯拉罕刚来到迦南的时候,曾住过示剑(参创 12:6-7 );雅各住在那里的时候,因那地之主的儿子奸污了他的女儿,他的两个儿子杀了全城的男子(参创 34 );约瑟的骸骨葬在那里(参书 24:32 );以色列人在那里与神重新立约(参书 24 );北国以色列在该城跟犹大分裂(参王上 12 )。 

  士 9:7-15> 众树代表什么?荆棘又代表什么?这些比喻象征了什么? 

  9:7-15 约坦的比喻之中,几种好树代表基甸的七十个儿子,荆棘则代表亚比米勒。约坦认为对民族有益的人会忙于做有益的事,无暇计较政治与权力。毫无用处之人则完全相反,喜欢这种尊荣,但是会毁灭他所统治的百姓。亚比米勒就好像荆棘,不能给以色列人真正的保护或安全。在他毁灭示剑城( 9:45 ),又烧毁“示剑楼”(巴力米罗城, 9:46-49 )的时候,约坦的比喻遂告应验,亚比米勒最后在提备斯被杀( 9:53-54 )。 

  士 9:16> 约坦的比喻有哪些可为作领袖之人的鉴戒? 

  9:16 约坦讲出结佳果之树的比喻,为要使百姓可以作出正确的抉择,不愿意他们选立人格卑劣的首领。我们若作领袖,要常检讨自己的动机,是否只希望得人称赞,有声望又有权力?约坦的比喻中,好树宁愿选择多结果子而有益于人。你要想作领袖,就该依此原则而行。 

  士 9:22-24> 亚比米勒作王三年后受到惩罚,你认为三年是长是短? 

  9:22-24 亚比米勒与神心目中的士师相反,不过在三年以后,神才攻击他,应验了约坦所比喻的。这三年时间对约坦来说,似乎是漫漫长夜,不见黎明。亚比米勒为什么不因他的恶行早点受罚呢? 

  在我们觉得罪恶似乎得胜的时候,我们不明白原因(参伯 10:3 ; 21:1-18 ;耶 12:1 ;哈 1:2-4 , 12-17 )。神应许要审判罪,不过那是按祂的时间,不是按我们的时间。实际上,神没有立刻处罚我们,对我们是好事。因为我们都犯了罪,应当受祂的刑罚,但神因祂的怜悯,常免除我们立刻受罚,给我们时间悔改,离弃罪并归向祂。信靠神的公平,我们必须先认罪悔改,并等候恶人受罚,这也许要一段时间,但是当神的时间一到,所有的邪恶都要被除灭。 

  士 9:23> 恶魔就是鬼吧── 

  9:23 这种恶魔(或作邪灵)并不仅仅是一种争竞的态度,乃是污鬼;它不是撒但本身,乃是受撒但所影响的犯罪天使。神使用这个恶魔,降在亚比米勒与示剑人中间,刑罚他们。撒母耳记上 16 章 14 节记载,神以同样方式处罚扫罗。 

  士 9:45> 将城拆毁,撒上盐,这是干什么…… 

  9:45 将攻取的城拆毁、撒上盐,是一种仪式,象征该城永远荒凉。示剑城有一百五十年之久没有重建。 

  士 9:53> 亚比米勒的死颇为独特…… 

  9:53 古代战争中有时请妇女和男子一同站在城墙上,将檑木石头等重物向下面的兵士抛掷。磨石是理想的重物,它是一块圆盘形的石头,直径大约有 46 公分,中间有个洞,人将谷物放在两块磨石之间,上磨石转动,将谷粒磨成面粉。 

  亚比米勒死得特别羞耻,他是被妇人砸死,而不是在争战中被兵士所杀;是被农具打死,而不是死于兵器之下。他被磨石击中受了重伤以后,请求拿他兵器的人在他咽气前用刀把他杀死。 

  士 9:56-57> 基甸的家庭悲剧中有哪些教训? 

  9:56-57 亚比米勒的父亲基甸,在战场上虽然得胜,在个人的生活上却失败。圣经没有谴责他娶妾( 8:31 ),但清楚说明家庭问题因此而产生。 

  亚比米勒杀死他父亲六十九个儿子,使民族分裂,自己也被杀。我们从基甸一生看见前车之鉴,不管我们为神的国度做了多少大事,罪总会产生巨大的恶果。 

  士 9:56-57> 9:56-57 约坦对亚比米勒的咒诅见 9 章 16 至 20 节。 

  亚比米勒之败亡──《灵修版圣经注释》