Judges 9:38
New International Version
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!”

New Living Translation
Then Zebul turned on him and asked, “Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn’t it you that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?’ The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!”

English Standard Version
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”

King James Bible
Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

New King James Version
Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now, with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with them now.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Zebul said to him, “Where then is your boasting with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you rejected? Go out now and fight them!”

NASB 1995
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!”

NASB 1977
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your boasting now with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you rejected? Go out now and fight with them!”

Amplified Bible
Then Zebul said to Gaal, “Where is your [boasting] mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Is this not the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them!”

Christian Standard Bible
Zebul replied, “What do you have to say now? You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? ’ Aren’t these the troops you despised? Now go and fight them! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Zebul replied, “Where is your mouthing off now? You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Aren’t these the people you despised? Now go and fight them!”

American Standard Version
Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Zabal said to him: “Where is your mouth which was saying, ‘Who is Abimelek, that we should serve him?’ Was this not the people that you despised? Go out now and fight with him!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Zebul said to him, And where is thy mouth as thou spokest, Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people whom thou despisedst? go forth now, and set the battle in array against him.

Contemporary English Version
Then Zebul replied, "What good is all of your bragging now? You were the one who said Abimelech shouldn't be the ruler of Shechem. Out there is the army that you made fun of. So go out and fight them!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Zebul said to him: Where is now thy mouth wherewith thou saidst? Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not this the people which thou didst despise? Go out, and fight against him.

English Revised Version
Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Zebul said to him, "Where is your big mouth now? You were the one who said, 'Who's Abimelech that we should serve him?' Aren't these the troops [whose ruler] you despised? Now go out and fight him."

Good News Translation
Then Zebul said to him, "Where is all your big talk now? You were the one who asked why we should serve this man Abimelech. These are the men you were making fun of. Go on out now and fight them."

International Standard Version
So Zebul replied, "Right... So where's your boasting now? You said, 'Who is Abimelech? Should we serve him?' Isn't this the army that you insulted? So go out right now and fight them!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then said Zebul unto him: 'Where is now thy mouth, that thou saidst: Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out now, I pray, and fight with them.'

Literal Standard Version
And Zebul says to him, “Where [is] your mouth now, in that you say, Who [is] Abimelech that we serve him? Is this not the people against which you have kicked? Please go out now and fight against it.”

Majority Standard Bible
“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”

New American Bible
Zebul said to him, “Where now is your boast, when you said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the troops for whom you expressed contempt? Go out now and fight with them.”

NET Bible
Zebul said to him, "Where now are your bragging words, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men you insulted? Go out now and fight them!"

New Revised Standard Version
Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your boast now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the troops you made light of? Go out now and fight with them.”

New Heart English Bible
Then Zebul said to him, "Where is now your mouth, that you said, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Is not this the people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Zebul to him, Where is now thy mouth, with which thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? are not these the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

World English Bible
Then Zebul said to him, “Now where is your mouth, that you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Isn’t this the people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Zebul saith unto him, 'Where is now thy mouth, in that thou sayest, Who is Abimelech that we serve him? is not this the people against which thou hast kicked? go out, I pray thee now, and fight against it.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fall of Shechem
37Then Gaal spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak.” 38“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!” 39So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,…

Cross References
Judges 9:37
Then Gaal spoke up again, "Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming by way of the Diviners' Oak."

Judges 9:39
So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech,


Treasury of Scripture

Then said Zebul to him, Where is now your mouth, with which you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

Judges 9:28,29
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? …

2 Samuel 2:26,27
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? …

2 Kings 14:8-14
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face…

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Abimelech Abim'elech Big Boasting Despised Kicked Loud Mouth Ridiculed Servants Serve Subject Talk Wherewith Who Zebul
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Abimelech Abim'elech Big Boasting Despised Kicked Loud Mouth Ridiculed Servants Serve Subject Talk Wherewith Who Zebul
Judges 9
1. Abimelech by conspiracy with the Shechemites, and murder of his brothers, is made king
7. Jotham by a parable rebukes them, and foretells their ruin
22. Gaal conspires with the Shechemites against him
30. Zebul reveals it
34. Abimelech overcomes them, and sows the city with salt
46. He burns the hold of the god Berith
50. At Thebez he is slain by a piece of a millstone
56. Jotham's curse is fulfilled.














(38) Where is now thy mouth . . .?--"Mouth" here means boastfulness. This is usually taken as a bitter taunt, as though Zebul could now safely throw off his deceitful acquiescence in Gaal's plans. It may be so, for the narrative gives us no further details; but unless Zebul was in some way secured by his own adherents from Gaal's immediate vengeance, it seems better to take it as a sort of expostulation against Gaal's past rashness.

Verse 38. - Then said Zebul, etc. Zebul now throws off the mask, and dares Gaal to carry out his boast in ver. 28.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Where
אַיֵּ֨ה (’ay·yêh)
Interrogative
Strong's 346: Where?

is your gloating
פִ֙יךָ֙ (p̄î·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

now?”
אֵפ֥וֹא (’ê·p̄ō·w)
Conjunction
Strong's 645: Here, now, then

Zebul
זְבֻ֗ל (zə·ḇul)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2083: Zebul -- an officer of Abimelech

replied.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“You said,
תֹּאמַ֔ר (tō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Who
מִ֥י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

is Abimelech
אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

we should serve him?’
נַעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ (na·‘aḇ·ḏen·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

Are these not
הֲלֹ֨א (hă·lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

the people
הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

you ridiculed?
מָאַ֣סְתָּה (mā·’as·tāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

Go out
צֵא־ (ṣê-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

now
עַתָּ֖ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

and fight them!”
וְהִלָּ֥חֶם (wə·hil·lā·ḥem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle


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OT History: Judges 9:38 Then said Zebul to him Where (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 9:37
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