King James Version

Judges 9:28

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?

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…גַּ֣עַלgaalGaalגַּעַלnoun, proper name — “Gaal”H1603Gaal, an IsraeliteGaal.בֶּןbensonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […עֶ֗בֶדevedEbedעֶבֶדnoun, proper name — “Ebed”H5651Ebed, the name of two IsraelitesEbed.מִֽיmiwhoמִיparticle, interrogative — “who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.אֲבִימֶ֤לֶךְavimelekhAbimelechאֲבִימֶלֶךְnoun, proper name — “Abimelech”H40Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two IsraelitesAbimelech.וּמִֽיumiand whoמִיconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.שְׁכֶם֙shekhemShechemשְׁכֶםnoun, proper name — “Shechem”H7927Shekem, a place in PalestineShechem.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…נַעַבְדֶ֔נּוּnaavdenvkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “keep in bondage”, an unfinished actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…הֲלֹ֥אhalono , -r,לֹאparticle, interrogative, particle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…בֶןvensonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “son”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […יְרֻבַּ֖עַלyerubaalJerubbaalיְרֻבַּעַלnoun, proper name — “Jerubbaal”H3378Jerubbaal, a symbolic name of GideonJerubbaal.וּזְבֻ֣לuzevuland Zebul. Compare H2073זְבֻלconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Zebul. Compare H2073”H2083Zebul, an IsraeliteZebul. Compare H2073 (זְבוּל).פְּקִיד֑וֹpeqidvowhich had the chargeפָּקִידnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “which had the charge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6496a superintendent (civil, military or religious)which had the charge, governor, office, overseer, (that) was set.עִבְד֗וּivdvkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “keep in bondage”, a commandH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אַנְשֵׁ֤יanshea certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…חֲמוֹר֙chamorHamorחֲמוֹרnoun, proper name — “Hamor”H2544Chamor, a CanaaniteHamor.אֲבִ֣יavifatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.שְׁכֶ֔םshekhemShechemשְׁכֶםnoun, proper name — “Shechem”H7927Shekem, a place in PalestineShechem.וּמַדּ֖וּעַumaduaand whyמַדּוּעַconjunction, particle, interrogative — “and why”H4069what (is) known?; i.e. (by implication) (adverbially) why?how, wherefore, why.נַעַבְדֶ֥נּוּnaavdenvkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “keep in bondage”, an unfinished actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אֲנָֽחְנוּanachenvweאֲנַחְנוּpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, plural — “we”H587weourselves, us, we.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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 ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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 ye the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: but why should we serve him?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Gaal son of Ebed saith, 'Who [is] Abimelech, and who [is] Shechem, that we serve him? is [he] not son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his commander? Serve ye the men of Hamor father of Shechem, and wherefore do we serve him — we?

World English Bible

Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he the son of Jerubbaal? Isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem, but why should we serve him?

Darby Translation

And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is he not the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his overseer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem! and why should we serve him?

Douay-Rheims

And Gaal the son of Obed cried: Who is Abimelech, and what is Sichem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and hath made Zebul his servant ruler over the men of Emor the father of Sichem? Why then shall we serve him?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Gaal the son of Jobel said, Who is Abimelech, and who is the son of Sychem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and is not Zebul his steward, his servant with the son of Emmor the father of Sychem? and why should we serve him?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Γαὰλ υἱὸς Ἰωβὴλ, τίς ἐστιν Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ τίς ἐστιν υἱὸς Συχὲμ, ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ; οὐχ υἱὸς Ἱεροβάαλ, καὶ Ζεβοὺλ ἐπίσκοπος αὐτοῦ, δοῦλος αὐτοῦ σὺν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν Ἐμμὼρ πατρὸς Συχέμ; καὶ τί ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς;