The narrative begins with an account of Abimelek’s rise to power (9:1–6). As indicated in 8:31, Abimelek is a son of Gideon by his Shechemite concubine. Going to his relatives in Shechem, Abimelek asks the city’s leaders to support him over Gideon’s seventy sons as sole ruler. Seeing that Abimelek has both legitimacy as Gideon’s son and blood relationship with them that Gideon’s other sons lack, the Shechemites throw their support behind Abimelek by providing him with the necessary funds to stage a coup. Abimelek then hires some reckless fellows and goes back to Ophrah, where he murders his seventy half brothers on a stone.

The leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo then gather to crown Abimelek king. Here, although some see the extent of Abimelek’s rule as largely restricted to Shechem and i…