Judges 9:38

38 To whom Zebul said, Where is now thy mouth, by which thou speakest, Who is Abimelech, that we serve him? (And then Zebul said to him, Now where is thy mouth, by which thou speakest, and saith, Who is this Abimelech, that we should serve him?) Whether this is not the people, whom thou despisedest? Go thou out, and fight against him.

Judges 9:38 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 9:38

Then said Zebul unto him
Not being able to put him off any longer, and willing to take the opportunity to upbraid him with what he had said:

where is now thy mouth, [wherewith] thou saidst, who is Abimelech, that
we should serve him?
darest thou say the same thou hast done, and utter the contemptuous language concerning Abimelech, asking who he was, that he should be served? Here he is, speak to his face; what are become of those boasts and brags, and great swelling words, what thou wouldest do if thou hadst the command of this city?

is not this the people thou hast despised?
as small and insignificant, bidding Abimelech increase his army, and come out and fight:

go out, I pray thee, now, and fight with them;
and show thyself to be a man of courage, and not a mere blusterer, a man that can use his sword as well as his tongue.

Judges 9:38 In-Context

36 And when Gaal had seen the people, he said to Zebul, Lo! a multitude cometh down from the hills. To whom Zebul answered, Thou seest the shadows of hills as the heads of men, and thou art deceived by this error.

37 And again Gaal said, Lo! a people cometh down from the midst of the earth, and one company cometh by the way that beholdeth the oak. (And Gaal said again, Lo! many people cometh down from the midst of the land, and one company, or one group, cometh along the road of the Soothsayers? Oak.)

38 To whom Zebul said, Where is now thy mouth, by which thou speakest, Who is Abimelech, that we serve him? (And then Zebul said to him, Now where is thy mouth, by which thou speakest, and saith, Who is this Abimelech, that we should serve him?) Whether this is not the people, whom thou despisedest? Go thou out, and fight against him.

39 Therefore Gaal went (out), while the people of Shechem abode; and he fought against Abimelech. (And so Gaal led out the men of Shechem; and they fought against Abimelech.)

40 And pursued him fleeing, and constrained him to flee into the city; and full many of the part of Gaal felled down, unto the gate of the city. (And Abimelech fought back, and pursued after them, and sent them fleeing; and a great many of Gaal's men were killed, all the way back to the city gate.)