And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless persons, who followed him.
All Commentaries on Judges 9:4 Go To Judges 9
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Weight. Hebrew, Chaldean, and Septuagint do not express what quantity of silver was given. (Menochius)
But sicle on such occasions is generally supplied. (Calmet)
Hence this sum would amount to little more than 8l. sterling. (Haydock)
As this appears too insignificant a sum to maintain an army, (Calmet) some would supply pounds, each consisting of 24 sicles, or talents, which were equivalent to 3000 sicles. (Menochius)
But this is without example, and the army of Abimelech was, probably, a company of banditti, or villains, who went with him to Ephra, to murder his brethren, and afterwards kept near his person. When he had got possession of his father's estate, and of the sovereign power, he found means to supply his wants. (Calmet)
Baalberith. That is, Baal of the covenant, so called from the covenant they had made with Baal, chap. viii. 33. (Challoner)
The custom of keeping money in temples was formerly very common. Almost all the cities of Greece sent money to the temple of Apollo, at Delphos, (Marsham, sæc. xvii.) where the people of Rome and of Marseilles had also some. The different cities had likewise holes cut in the rock of Olympia, in Elis, for the same purpose. The public treasury was, almost universally, some temple. That of Rome was the temple of Saturn.
Vagabonds. Hebrew, "empty and inconstant "(Calmet) people who had nothing to lose, and who would not embrace any proper method of getting a livelihood. (Haydock)
Chaldean, "seekers. "Septuagint, "stupid. "Symmachus, "idle and of desperate fortunes, or frantic. "(Calmet)
Such people are generally at the head of every revolution, or, at least, are ready to follow the directions of some powerful and designing man; as but too many instances, both in ancient and modern times evince; which ought to be a caution for all to watch their motions. (Haydock)
