9:29 If only these men59 were under my command,60 I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech,61 “Muster62 your army and come out for battle!”63
snIf only these men were under my command. One might assume from v. 26b that the men were already at his disposal, but perhaps that was not one of the terms of the agreement. Another possibility is that v. 26 is a general summary statement, with vv. 27–29 then detailing how the alliance with Gaal came about.
61
tnHeb “said to Abimelech.” On the other hand, the preposition ל (lamed) prefixed to the proper name may be vocative (see R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 178). If so, one could translate, “He boasted, ‘Abimelech …’ ”