Judges 9:21
“Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and lived there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.”
What does Judges 9:21 mean?
Jotham had just delivered a sharp parable to the people of Shechem, warning them about the chaos that would come from following his brother Abimelech. Knowing that Abimelech would not take kindly to this public rebuke, Jotham did what many of us would do in that moment: he got himself to safety. His flight to Beer wasn't cowardice so much as wisdom, the kind of self-preservation that keeps you alive to fight another day or speak another truth. Sometimes protecting ourselves from harmful people, even family, is exactly what we're supposed to do.