See Judges 9

mālaḵ (v. H4427, rule over 👑) • meleḵ (n. H4428, ruler 🤴)

māšal (v. H4910, rule 📐) • māšaḥ (v. H4886, anoint 💦)

Who

• Jotham (Yôṯām, “YHWH is perfect”), the youngest of Gideon’s seventy sons
• Abimelech (Āḇîmeleḵ, “father of kings”), an older half-brother of Jotham.

Where

“By the oak of the pillar at Shechem” (v.6 - cf. Josh. 24:26, Gen. 35:4)

When

After “it was told to Jotham” (v.7) that Abimelech, his half brother, had "killed his brothers the sons of [Gideon], seventy men, on one stone.” (v.5)

Problem:

2 Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of [Gideon] rule you, or that one rule **you?