Jotham

He is our brother, whispered the family to the Shechemites, who, at length, fell in with this scheme, and lent Abimelech 70 pieces of silver from the sanctuary of Baal-Beroth.

With the money he hired a body of men, and, going to his father's house at Ophrah, murdered all his brethren, save Jotham the youngest, who managed to escape.

He was now left alone, and was solemnly anointed king by the men of Shechem, who thus formally signified their revolt from the Hebrew commonwealth.

Tidings of what was going on reached the ears of Jotham.

Emerging from his hiding place, he stationed himself on one of the rocky, inaccessible spurs of Mount Gerizim, and, taking up his parable from the variegated foliage of the valley below and the neighboring forest, bade the men of Shechem listen while he addressed to them the earliest parable, that of the Bramble King.

Once, he said, the trees went forth to anoint a king over them.

The olive could not leave his fatness, nor the fig tree his sweetness, nor the vine the juice of his grapes.

Recourse was then had to the bramble, which not only accepted the proffered honor, but bade the other trees put their trust in its shadow, and threatened, if they did not, that fire should come forth from it and devour even the cedars of Lebanon.

Y vino a la casa de su padre en Ofra y mató a sus hermanos los hijos de Jerobal, setenta varones sobre una misma piedra.

Pero quedó Jotam, el hijo menor de Jerobal, porque se escondió.

Detente en la crueldad calculada de esta ejecución.

Setenta hombres, la mayoría de ellos probablemente medio hermanos de Abimelec, ejecutados de manera sistemática sobre una misma piedra.

Un detalle que sugiere una ceremonia deliberada y pública, no una masacre caótica, sino un acto de eliminación política cuidadosamente planificado para asegurar que ningún rival legítimo pudiera disputar el ascenso de Abimelec al poder.

Y entonces, después de esta masacre: Y todos los de Siquem se juntaron con toda la casa de Milo y fueron y eligieron a Abimelec por rey, junto al valle de la encina que está en Siquem.

Cuando esto fue dicho a Jotam, fue y se puso en la cumbre del monte de Gerizim, y alzando su voz clamó y les dijo: "Oídme, varones de Siquem, y así os oiga Dios".

Jotam, el único sobreviviente de aquella masacre familiar, se atrevió entonces a pronunciar una de las parábolas más elaboradas de todo el Antiguo Testamento, dirigida directamente a los hombres de Siquem que habían financiado el asesinato de sus setenta hermanos.

And God also made the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads.

And upon them came the curse of Jotham.

the son of Jerubal.

So you need to keep these two bookends in mind the whole time that we read, as we're about to, these 30 verses that are in between.

so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died.

About a thousand men and women.

That, if you were here last sermon in Judges, that should make you think of what Gideon's youngest son, Jotham, said.

after Abimelech and these leaders of Shechem who just died in the tower, after they together killed all of his brothers.

Question two, which city's tower was burned down while about a thousand men and women saw refuge inside it from Abimelech? A, Session, B, Thebes, C, Opera, D, Peniel.

Question three, in Jotham's Parable of the Trees, which tree refused to leave its fruit to reign over the others? A, the olive tree, B, the fig tree, C, the vine, D, the bramble.

Question number four, which left-handed judge from the tribe of Benjamin assassinated King Eglon of Moab? A, Shamgar, B, Ehud, C, Tola, or D, Tola, sorry, okay.

Question number five.