The citizens/lords of Shechem trust the conspirator and give him seventy shekels of silver (about 1.75 pounds or .798 kilograms) to hire reckless scoundrels (lit., “men empty and audaciously reckless,” cf. 11:3). With their aid, Abimelek murders his (paternal) brothers, the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal, on a single stone (ironically a single stone will kill Abimelek, v. 53). But one of these sons, Jotham (the youngest son), escapes by hiding. With seemingly all opposition removed, Abimelek is made king (melek) by the citizens/lords of Shechem and Beth Millo16 by the great tree and pillar17 in
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