brethren

And they came neere before Eleazar the Priest, and before Ioshua the sonne of Nun, and before the Princes, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to giue vs an inheritance among our brethren: therefore according to the commaundement of the LORD, hee gaue them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

Yee haue not left your brethren these many dayes vnto this day, but haue kept the charge of the commandement of the LORD your God.

And now the LORD your God hath giuen rest vnto your brethren, as hee promised them: therefore now returne yee, and get yee vnto your tents, and vnto the land of your possession, which Moses the seruant of the LORD gaue you on the other side Iordane.

1611 marginal noteNum. 32.33. chap. 13.8.

¶ Now to the one halfe of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had giuen possession in Bashan: but vnto the other halfe therof gaue Ioshua among their brethren on this side Iordane Westward. And when Ioshua sent them away also vnto their tents, then hee blessed them,

And he spake vnto them, saying; Returne with much riches vnto your tents, and with very much cattell, with siluer and with gold, and with brasse, and with iron, and with very much raiment: Diuide the spoile of your enemies with your brethren.

And hee said, They were my brethren, euen the sonnes of my mother: as the LORD liueth, if yee had saued them aliue, I would not slay you.

¶ And Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Shechem, vnto his mothers brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mothers father, saying;

And his mothers brethren spake of him in the eares of all the men of Shechem, all these wordes, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech: for they said, He is our brother.

1611 marginal noteHeb. after.

And hee went vnto his fathers house at Ophrah, and slewe his brethren the sonnes of Ierubbaal, being threescore and tenne persons, vpon one stone: notwithstanding, yet Iotham the youngest sonne of Ierubbaal was left; for he hid himselfe.

That the crueltie done to the threescore and ten sonnes of Ierubbaal might come, and their blood be laid vpon Abimelech their brother which slew them, and vpon the men of Shechem which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

1611 marginal noteHebr. strengthened his hands to kill.