· Translation: KJV

Judges 9:57and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

The setting

Shechem, central Israel, ~1100 BC. The city that crowned Abimelech king now lies in ruins. Jotham's prophetic curse from three years earlier has come true...

The emotion here: sobering recognition of collective guilt

The original word

qelalah (קְלָלָה) — formal curse, solemn pronouncement of judgment

Why it matters

Jotham delivered his curse from Mount Gerizim, the same mountain where Joshua proclaimed blessings - the irony was intentional

Read with care

What most readers miss in Judges 9:57

The men of Shechem weren't innocent victims - they actively participated in Abimelech's rise to power and his brothers' murders

Common misconceptionPeople think the Shechemites were innocent victims caught in Abimelech's downfall. They actually helped him murder his 70 brothers and profited from his tyranny.

Bible Genome reading

Judges 9:57 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
Erajudges
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone40%
Themes:divine justiceconsequences

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Judges 9

Judges 9:57 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine justice, consequences. Notable phrases: wickedness; requite; curse.

Your reflection

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