שופטים, פרק ט׳, פסוק ג׳

Abimelech's political campaign successfully bears fruit as his mother's family rallies the leaders of Shechem by appealing directly to their tribal emotions. The brothers of his mother act as his advocates, speaking on his behalf and for his benefit [מצודת ציון]. They direct their message to the ruling class of the city, a group that was not made up of Israelites [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The decision of these local leaders to accept Abimelech's proposal and offer their backing is driven entirely by narrow, local interests. Their choice is not motivated by any genuine concern for the greater good, nor is it rooted in loyalty to Abimelech's father, Gideon, or any past promises made to his family regarding leadership. Instead, they are swayed solely by the lineage of Abimelech's mother. A shared sense of kinship unites the people of the city, leading them to support him simply because they view him as their own brother [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, מצודת דוד].