שופטים, פרק ט׳, פסוק ב׳

A political campaign often relies on careful maneuvering and emotional appeals. Abimelech initiates a calculated move to seize power, directing his efforts toward the leadership of Shechem. Knowing that his own social standing is lower than that of the city lords, he does not approach them directly. Instead, he uses his mother's family, his local uncles, as middlemen to lobby the influential figures of the city [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Through these relatives, Abimelech presents the leaders with a rhetorical choice regarding the ideal form of government. He asks whether it is better to be ruled by a massive council of seventy men or by a single leader. Most commentators explain that since all seventy men are the sons of Jerubbaal, they all hold an equal claim to leadership. In such a scenario, none of the brothers would naturally step aside for the others. This would inevitably result in a large, joint ruling body that is highly prone to conflict. Abimelech argues that an excess of rulers is harmful to the public, positioning himself as the ideal sole successor to the previous judge [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond this practical argument for a single ruler, Abimelech makes a second, highly personal appeal to the tribal interests of the people of Shechem. He plays on their shared bloodline, reminding them that he is their own flesh and bone. While the other sons of Jerubbaal are essentially strangers to the city, Abimelech is a local. He insists that this deep family connection makes him the only logical choice to be crowned, a move that would completely shut out his brothers from holding any power [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].