All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together with all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 6. Mello. We know of no such city in the vicinity of Sichem. Hebrew “all the house of Millo:” which some take to be the town-house of Sichem, full of the chief citizens, as Mello signifies “filled up;” (Vatable) or it might designate some part of the city which had been levelled, like the deep valley at Jerusalem, (3 Kennicott. 9:15. Bible.) and where some powerful family, probably the father of Abimelech’s mother, might dwell. Calmet.—This family would interest itself the most in the advancement of the tyrant, verse 3. Bible.—Oak. Hebrew “the plain, or oak of the statue,” (alluding to the monument which was left here by Josue, verse 37. Josue 24:26) or Septuagint “of the station,” as those of Sichem might assemble here to deliberate on public affairs, ( Calmet.) in memory of the solemn covenant between God and the people. Bible.