Gideon refused a crown. At his burial, the son of his concubine starts to wonder what it would take.
A manga of the Bible: every word spoken and narrated is taken from scripture (the Berean Standard Bible).
Forty Years of Peace, Gideon’s Death, Gideon’s Ephod, Abimelech’s Conspiracy.
The words of this chapter
The Burial (Judg 8:28, 8:32)
So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon, Later, Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, They and their camels were innumerable, and they entered the land to ravage it.
Gideons Men: A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!
In this way Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again.
Flashback: The Crown (Judg 8:22-27, 8:30)
Then the Israelites said to Gideon,
Israelites: Rule over us—you and your son and grandson—for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.
But Gideon replied,
Gideon: I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you. Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.
Israelites: We will give them gladly,
The weight of the gold earrings he had requested was 1,700 shekels, in addition to the crescent ornaments, the pendants, the purple garments of the kings of Midian, From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
Flashback: The Other Son (Judg 8:31)
His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
The Empty Seat (Judg 8:33-35)
And as soon as Gideon was dead,
Note: In Hebrew, the name Abimelech means “my father is king.”
the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god. The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God They did not show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for Israel. So on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend with him,” because he had torn down Baal’s altar.
One Man (Judg 9:1-3)
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to his mother's brothers at Shechem and said to them and to all the clan of his mother,
Abimelech: Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, 'Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?' Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.
Gideon: nor will my son.
And when his mother's brothers spoke all these words about him in the presence of all the leaders of Shechem, their hearts were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said,
Shechem Leaders: He is our brother.