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아비멜렉의 살육과 처절한 죽음 사사기 9장

by winter-art 2025. 4. 13.

사사기 9장은 사사 시대의 암울한 정치적, 도덕적 타락을 보여주는 대표적인 장입니다. 여룹바알이라 불린 기드온의 아들 아비멜렉이 왕이 되기 위해 벌이는 잔혹한 쿠데타와 그 결과로 인한 자멸의 서사를 담고 있습니다.

 

아비멜렉의 야망

1. Now Abiberith the son of JErubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whold clan of his mother's family, 2 "Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

 

 

 3 AND his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." 4 AND they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. 5 And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. 6 And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went ad made Abimelech king, the oak of the pillar at Shechem.

 

야망이 남다른 기드온 첩의 아들 중 한 명인 아비멜렉이 친척들에게 이렇게 선포합니다. 70명의 아들이 나라를 다스리는 게 낫겠냐 나 혼자 다스리는 게 낫겠냐고요. 그러면서 스스로 왕이 되기 위해 70명을 죽이는 만행을 저지릅니다. 세겜 사람들에게 자신은 같은 혈육이라며 그들의 지지를 얻고요. 그는 세겜의 바알브릿 신전에서 은을 받아 살인청부군을 고용하고 형제들을 한 바위 위에서 모두 죽입니다.

 

 

사사기 8장 읽기

 

기드온의 은혜가 타락으로 번져가는 과정 사사기 8장

사사기 8장은 기드온 전쟁 후 이야기를 중심으로 기드온이 어떻게 타락해 가는지를 여실히 보여줍니다. 신학자들은 그를 비극적 영웅 정도로 미화하려는 듯 보이지만 제 눈에는 그냥 전형적인

wintercreative.tistory.com

 

 

 요담의 우화

7. When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. 8 The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.' 9 But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honoured, and go to hold sawy over the trees?" 10 And the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.' 11 But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to hold sway over the trrees?' 12 And the trees said to the vine, 'YOU come and reign over us.' 13 But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go to hold sway over the trees?' 14 THEN all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.' 15 And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.' 

 

 

16 "Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved-17 for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, 18 and you have risen up against my father's house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative 19 if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from  Beth-,illo and devour Animelech." 21 And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother.

 

아들 중에 유일하게 막내 요담만이 살아남았고 그는 서동요처럼 우화를 만들어서 민간에게 퍼뜨립니다. 요담은 9장에만 등장하지만 상당히 상징적인 인물입니다. 예언자적 저항을 하며 진실을 목격하고 정의가 침묵한 시대에 말로 심판을 선포한 자입니다. 아무튼, 이런 비유를 만들어 퍼뜨리는데요. 평화와 기름을 붓는 감람나무, 진실된 자 무화과나무, 자신의 본분을 알기에 왕이 되기를 거절하는 포도나무, 유익함도 없고 자기 그늘에 안 들면 불로 위협하는 가시나무, 그 가시나무가 바로 아비멜렉이라고 퍼뜨리게 합니다. 그렇게 비유로 진실을 말했습니다. 

 

 세겜과 아비멜렉의 갈등

22  Abimelech ruled over Israel for three years. 23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on ABimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

 

 26 And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 ANd they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; ad they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I WOUld say to Abimelech, 'Increase your army, and come out.;"

 

 30 WHen Zebul the reler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. 32 Now therefore, go by night, you and ambush in the field. 33 Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you,  you may do to them as your hand finds to do."

 

 

 34 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebel went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the abush. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!" And Zebul said to him, "You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men." 37 Gaal spoke again and said, "Look, people are coming down from the centre of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak." 38 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." 39 AND A bimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. 41 And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they not dwell at Shechem. 

 

그렇게 3년 동안 아비멜렉이 통치하지만 세겜 사람들과 분열이 일어납니다. 물론 하나님이 악한 영을 보낸 결과라고 합니다만, 세겜 사람들은 약탈을 일삼으로 반란을 꾀합니다. 그리고 가알이라는 인물이 등장하여 아비멜렉에게 노골적으로 반기를 듭니다. 

 

그러나 가알은 잠깐 등장한 대항자일 뿐입니다. 대중의 환심을 사고 반란을 선동하지만 싸움에서 패하고 쫓겨납니다. 그의 이런 행동은 정의감에 불타서라기보다는 자신이 왕이 되려고 또 다른 야심을 품은 인간에 불과했던 거죠. 

 

 

 세겜과 아비멜렉의 갈등

 

42 On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. 43 He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. 44 Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. 45 And ABimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

 

46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith. 47 Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 Abielech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. ANd Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, "What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done." 49 So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

 

 50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young man his armour bearer and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ' A woman killed him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. 56 Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which  he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads , and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

 

참으로 잔인하기 짝이없는 결론입니다. 한 여인이 그를 죽이려고 위에서 맷돌을 던지려고 하자, 그 와중에도 여자한테 죽지는 않으려고 칼로 자신의 목숨을 끊는 건가요? 권력의 자멸이 참 아이러니합니다.  가만 보면 성경이 가부장적인 것 같아도 급진적이고 예언자적 여성이 곳곳에 자주 등장합니다. 

 

 사사기 9장의 의미

사사기 9장은 단순한 정쟁이나 폭군 이야기 이상으로, 권력의 타락, 무자격한 왕의 종말, 그리고 민중과 권력의 공모와 배신이라는 깊은 주제를 담고 있습니다. 요담의 우화에서 가알의 선동 그리고 아비멜렉의 파멸까지 이어지는 9장은 상당히 의미있어 보입니다.

 

 

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