Definition: Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Judges 9:56. It’s a really important and somewhat unsettling part of the story. Here's a simple explanation: What it says: “Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:” Let’s unpack it piece by piece: “Judges 9” : This refers to a specific story in the Old Testament book of Judges. It's a dramatic account of a troubling situation involving a man named Abimelech. “Thus God” : This isn't saying God did something bad. It’s more like God intervened and reacted to something terrible that happened. “rendered” : This is a really strong word – it means to punish, to make something very difficult or unpleasant. “the wickedness of Abimelech” : This is the core of the verse. Abimelech was a man who was incredibly greedy and dishonest. He was obsessed with getting rich quick and he made a terrible mistake that caused immense suffering. “which he did unto his father” : This means God punished Abimelech because of his actions . It's not just about him being bad; it’s because of what he did . “in slaying his seventy brethren” : This is the shocking part. Abimelech had a large group of people – seventy brothers – who were all murdered! This was a massive loss of life and a devastating blow to their community. So, in short: God punished Abimelech for his greed and dishonesty because he caused such a great tragedy by killing so many people. Why is this important? This story is often interpreted as a reminder that: Greed can have terrible consequences. Abimelech's obsession led to a massive loss of life. God’s judgment isn't always about punishment for wrongdoing, but sometimes it's about the severity of the harm caused. God might punish people for their actions even if they don't fully understand why. Does this mean God is angry with us? Not necessarily in a way that would make us feel bad. It's more like God is showing us that there are serious consequences to our choices and that we need to be careful about what we do. --- Do you want me to: Explain this story further? Connect it to a specific theme in the Bible (like forgiveness or repentance)?