Judges 8:31His concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
The setting
Shechem, central Israel, ~1100 BC. A wealthy judge maintains multiple relationships across tribal territories...
The emotion here: matter-of-fact but foreshadowing doom
The original word
pilegesh (פִּילֶגֶשׁ) — concubine, a wife with lower status than primary wives
Why it matters
Shechem was a Canaanite city where Abraham first built an altar in the Promised Land
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 8:31
Abimelech means 'my father is king' — a dangerous name in a nation that rejected monarchy
Common misconceptionPeople assume this is just family background, but the author is setting up Israel's first civil war. The location (Shechem) and name (Abimelech) are loaded with political danger.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 8:31
Bible Genome reading
Judges 8:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 8:31 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is starting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include naming, future trouble. Notable phrases: named him Abimelech. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same starting
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— Acts 1:8
“Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receiv…”
— Acts 2:38
Your reflection
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