Gideon in the context of Joash the Abiezrite

The Biblia pauperum (Latin for "Paupers' Bible") was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning probably with Ansgar, and a common printed block-book in the later Middle Ages to visualize the typological correspondences between the Old and New Testaments. Unlike a simple "illustrated Bible", where the pictures are subordinated to the text, these Bibles placed the illustration in the centre, with only a brief text or sometimes no text at all. Words spoken by the figures in the miniatures could be written on scrolls coming out of their mouths. To this extent one might see parallels with modern comics.

The tradition is a further simplification of the Bible moralisée tradition, which was similar but with more text. Like these, the Biblia pauperum was usually in the local vernacular language, rather than Latin.

Abimelech (/əˈbɪməˌlɛk/; אֲבִימֶלֶךְ ’Ǎḇīmeleḵ) or Abimelek was the king of Shechem and the tribal territory of Manasseh, and a son of biblical judge Gideon. His name can best be interpreted as "my father is king", claiming the inherited right to rule. He is introduced in Judges 8:31 as the son of Gideon and his Shechemite concubine, and the biblical account of his reign is described in chapter nine of the Book of Judges. According to the Bible, he was an unprincipled and ambitious ruler who often engaged in wars against his own subjects.

Judges 9 is the ninth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon's son, Abimelech, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

Judges 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

Judges 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Abiezrites were one of the ten clans identified as belonging to the tribe of Manasseh. The Abiezrites traced their lineage through Abiezer, the son of Gilead. Joash and Gideon were members of this clan: Gideon describes the Abiezrites, as "the weakest in [the tribe of] Manasseh". The Samaria Ostraca, written between 850 and 750 BCE, records two villages associated with the Abiezrites. Scholars have identified that the clan lived in the area south and southwest of Shechem.

Ophrah (Hebrew: עֹפְרָה), (/ˈɔːfrə/ or /ˈɒfrə/) is a name in the Hebrew Bible meaning "a fawn" given to:

• A city of Benjamin (Joshua 18:23), probably identical with Ephron (2 Chron 13:19) and Ephraim (John 11:54), the modern Palestinian town of Taybeh. The Israeli settlement of Ofra is close to the site as well. According to Epiphanius, it was situated 5 miles east of the city of Bethel.
• "Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites," a city of Manasseh, 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Shechem, the residence of Gideon (Judges 6:11; 8:27,32). After his great victory over the Midianites, he slew at this place the captive kings (8:18–21). He then assumed the function of high priest and sought to make Ophrah what Shiloh should have been. This thing "became a snare" to Gideon and his house. After Gideon's death, his family resided here until they were put to death by Gideon's son Abimelech (Judges 9:5). It is identified with Ferata.
• A grandchild of Othniel Ben Kenaz, mentioned in 1 Chr 4:14.